Meeting of the Parliament
Meeting date: Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Official Report
791KB pdf
Decision Time
The first question is, that amendment S4M-05172.2, in the name of Claire Baker, which seeks to amend motion S4M-05172, in the name of Richard Lochhead, on the annual European Union fisheries negotiations, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S4M-05172.3, in the name of Jamie McGrigor, which seeks to amend motion S4M-05172, in the name of Richard Lochhead, on the annual EU fisheries negotiations, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that amendment S4M-05172.1, in the name of Tavish Scott, which seeks to amend motion S4M-05172, in the name of Richard Lochhead, on the annual EU fisheries negotiations, be agreed to.
Amendment agreed to.
The next question is, that motion S4M-05172, in the name of Richard Lochhead, as amended many times, on the annual EU fisheries negotiations, be agreed to.
Motion, as amended, agreed to,
That the Parliament supports the Scottish Government in its efforts to achieve the best possible outcome for Scotland during the important annual fisheries negotiations; endorses its calls for the EU to replace the deeply flawed and discredited Cod Recovery Plan with a plan that respects mixed species fisheries; notes that the European Commission wishes to reduce days at sea by 20% in 2013 as part of the legally binding Cod Recovery Plan; recognises that all member states neighbouring the North Sea agree that days at sea should be frozen at current levels; deplores a legal stand-off by competing parts of the EU that could leave Scottish fishermen with a damaging cut in their ability to prosecute sustainable fisheries, and calls on the Presidency of the EU to bring forward measures that put fishermen, the industry and their future before bureaucrats; agrees that there is a need for the EU to deliver radical reform of the failed EU common fisheries policy by bringing decision making on managing fisheries closer to home to promote sustainable fisheries, tackle the problem of discards and protect fishing rights for the benefit of Scotland’s fishing communities and the marine environment; recognises the importance of these negotiations in terms of the fish processing and wider fisheries industry; expresses disappointment at the breakdown of talks concerning mackerel and calls for renewed efforts to reach a negotiated settlement; further calls on the Scottish Government to announce the full operational details of the concordat on fisheries management between the UK administrations that will come into effect in 2013; recognises the outstanding work that is being carried out by the Scottish fishing industry to preserve its longevity and the sustainability of fishing stocks; further recognises that the Scottish fleet has recently carried out an enormous amount of work with conservation measures such as experimental cod-ends, escape panels and net mesh sizes; encourages the Scottish Government to continue to work alongside the UK Government to promote the use of initiatives such as the catch quota trials and selectivity measures in technical net design and real-time closures, and believes that the use of such initiatives should avoid further penalties being imposed on Scottish fishermen at a time when they are already doing their utmost to conserve fish stocks in innovative and successful ways.
The next question is, that motion S4M-05177, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on committee membership, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that—
Jayne Baxter be appointed to replace Margaret McDougall as a member of the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee;
Elaine Murray be appointed to replace Malcolm Chisholm as a member of the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee;
Malcolm Chisholm be appointed to replace Elaine Murray as a member of the Finance Committee.
The next question is, that motion S4M-05195, in the name of Joe FitzPatrick, on committee membership, be agreed to.
Motion agreed to,
That the Parliament agrees that Margaret McDougall be appointed to replace John Park on the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee.