THE virtual extinction of the Merchant Navy and the Scottish fishing industry can be laid at the feet of successive Labour and Tory governments (Letters, September 3 & 4).

It is nothing short of a national humiliation.

A walk around Aberdeen harbour by any of your readers would acquaint them with the fact that every oil supply vessel berthed is foreign-built and foreign-owned.

Since 1964 the hundreds of tankers transporting oil from Sullom Voe, Flotta, Nigg and the Forth are all foreign-owned. There is not one Scottish-owned tanker. However, landlocked Luxembourg has tankers transporting our oil around the globe.

In 1948 there were more than 900 fishing boats registered in the Western Isles. Today there are just a few boats fishing for prawns, lobsters and shellfish. However, courtesy of Westminster politicians, hundreds of EU trawlers are now hoovering the fish from Scottish fishing grounds that provided our progenitors with their livelihood.

Donald J MacLeod,

49 Woodcroft Avenue,

Bridge of Don, Aberdeen.