Chamber and committees

I thank the member for that scripted question. I will get to that point later in my speech.

I have also met local fishermen, and I know that times are extremely tough for this once-thriving industry. Its existence is in real jeopardy, and time is running out to salvage the remains of our valuable fishing communities before they are lost for good. I thank the cabinet secretary for recently visiting a local Ayrshire fishing company with me to hear about the challenges that it faces and about the fascinating work that goes on and the wealth of experience in the industry. I know that she will meet fishermen on the Clyde shortly to continue that positive engagement.

We need to look at ways in which we can support the industry, as it is so important to the Scottish economy. The cabinet secretary’s motion highlights all the on-going negotiation with our international partners to ensure the best possible outcome for our Scottish fishers. I know that the Scottish Government’s negotiating strategy and priorities are influenced by high-quality science and take into account the wider policy objectives and socioeconomic implications, but I ask for consideration to also be given to utilising local fishing boats as reference fleets. Without accurate science, knowledge of local stocks can be limited.

Specifically on the Clyde, it should be noted that, this month, boats have been recording temperatures on the sea floor of 13°. In recent years, the figure has been 8°, which is still very high in comparison with previous years. According to scientists, cod generally spawn in temperatures of 4° to 7°. Therefore, climate change is having an impact on the industry, and local knowledge is valuable.

In relation to climate change, I also highlight the issue of fishing safety. Climate change is affecting sea temperatures, and some people are predicting more volatile weather. Ageing vessels will struggle to operate safely in such conditions and cannot be retrofitted to accommodate hybrid engines or alternative fuels. That issue will affect many of our fishermen in future.

On the Clyde, there has been a strong interest in increased prawn access. It has been acknowledged that the reduction in the nephrops fleet has been largely due to age, lack of crew, the impact of Brexit and Covid and recent closures. Increased access to prawn stocks might help to revitalise and replenish the coastal fleet, which has been reduced in Scotland in the past few years. I highlight that the Clyde fleet has been particularly hard hit in relation to access to crew, as enforcement of the transit visa measures has now been in place for more than a year in this region only. That has led to disproportionate opportunities regionally, as Northern Ireland boats have continued to fish in the Clyde, with full transit visa crew, while our Clyde boats have been tied up.

The Clyde Fishermen’s Association is deeply concerned that the number of fishing boats on the Clyde is now dwindling at a more rapid rate than numbers anywhere else in Scotland, so any consideration of support for diversification would be greatly appreciated. In Troon in my constituency, 20 years ago, there were 70 boats and now there are only six. The factories in Ayr, Kilkeel, Glasgow and Lanarkshire are seeing demand for nephrops domestically and in the EU, but they do not have the required volume of fishing boats or staff to support that demand from the market. The issue is becoming critical for factories in fishing communities. The Clyde fishermen wanted that issue to be raised so that the negotiating team is fully aware of all the challenges that they face.

Sure.

Scotland’s commercial fishing fleet and sea fisheries are significant contributors to Scotland’s rural and coastal economies. The commercial fishing industry contributes significantly to Scotland’s food and drink economy and, in particular, plays an important part in remote and potentially fragile communities. We need to preserve the industry for future generations to come.

Fantastic. Did you hear the previous question that I asked Jonathan Cribb? I do not know whether you want to add anything to what he said.

Okay. It is great that you are with us at the moment.

I move on to Dr Liz Cameron, who is from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce. Do you think that the pandemic and the disruption to education has had an impact on the pipeline for the skills that employers need now or in the near future?

Thank you. I will bring in Jim Fairlie.

Sure.

I thank the witnesses for their evidence and for giving us their time; I think that we can all agree that the session has been fascinating. If witnesses would like to provide the committee with any further evidence, they can do so in writing—the clerks will be happy to liaise with you on how to do that. I suspend the meeting briefly to allow for a change of witnesses.

We move to questions from Jim Fairlie.

Absolutely. I know, just going by what has happened in South Ayrshire, that 98 per cent of school leavers are currently going into positive destinations: either university or college or employment. However, we need more joined-up thinking between colleges, schools and businesses. Could the Scottish Government be doing anything better to help with that?

We move to questions; I will ask the first one.

My colleague Jim Fairlie brought up this issue during the earlier part of the meeting. I recently visited NHS Ayrshire and Arran to discuss menopausal support for its workforce, because 40 per cent of the board’s workforce is made up of women of menopausal age. Have you seen anything recently that has impacted women’s inactivity in the workforce due to menopause?