By Bertie Armstrong

BREXIT is inevitably dominating the news headlines, and in many instances, especially here in Scotland, there is worry and concern about the implications.

For fishing, we are in no doubt that Brexit provides a sea of opportunity for the UK and especially for Scotland, given that we land the bulk of the UK catch from our rich northern waters. It delivers the chance to reinvigorate our coastal and island communities and ensure a thriving, profitable and sustainable seafood industry.

Fishing is so very special – it is an iconic industry that supports many jobs in fragile coastal and island communities. An exaggeration, perhaps? Not when you look at the facts. Much play has been made of the recent deal the UK secured with Nissan recently to build more cars because of the importance it plays to the UK economy – 7,000 direct jobs and many more in the supply chain.

According to research by Seafish, if the UK fish catching sector were removed entirely, then UK employment would decrease by 28,691 (full-time equivalent jobs). Many more jobs would go if the processing sector is brought into the equation. So, here is an industry worth protecting and, with Brexit, the opportunity to actually increase employment through sustainable growth. And, of course, such economic expansion will benefit local businesses, shops and schools.

The opportunities really are there – and the challenge is to ensure they are fully grasped. Scotland sits strategically on the northern continental shelf right in the middle of some of the richest fishing grounds in the world. There is cod, haddock, herring, mackerel, langoustines and many other types of fish and shellfish. Crucially, fisheries are a renewable resource which, if managed sensibly, will support jobs and communities and provide a nutritious food source for generations to come.

We now have this precious opportunity to take back control of our fisheries. This is because, following our exit from the EU, the UK will, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, resume control over our 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as a fully-fledged coastal state.

At the moment, we are in the lamentable situation where our fisheries are currently managed by the EU as common grazing. Currently, EU vessels catch 58 per cent of the fish in what will become the UK EEZ. This equates to about 650,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish worth more than £400 million each year being caught in our waters. In contrast, UK boats fishing elsewhere in EU waters, landed on average 90,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish, worth about £100m.

Regaining control of our EEZ presents two major opportunities. First, it will deliver the power to establish a more effective and reactive fisheries management system in our waters that will ensure environmental sustainability. As part of our submission to government, we are insistent that fisheries regulations incorporate a commitment to sustainable harvesting whilst allowing the fleets to operate in an economically coherent manner.

Scottish fishermen have a proven track record of managing stocks sustainably, rebuilding depleted fish stocks and protecting the wider ecosystem. Many of our stocks are, for example, certified under the gold standard Marine Stewardship Council eco-label.

The second major opportunity is the ability to deliver fairer and more appropriate shares across the continental shelf of catching opportunity for the UK industry within our own waters. Having control of access to our prize fishing grounds could generate significant and sustainable economic growth in Scotland’s island and coastal communities at no cost to the taxpayer.

Other opportunities include the freedom to explore new markets for seafood in rapidly expanding economies outside the EU, the ability to direct any grant funding in ways more suited to Scotland than the EU currently allows, and scope for innovative thinking around fleet diversification and development.

Of course, to achieve all this, we need our politicians to be fully onside so that they can deliver these opportunities.

What we don’t want is for fishing to be considered expendable in the pursuit of some other goal.

This is why we are committed to working closely with both the Scottish and UK governments during the Brexit process and for the period thereafter. We are on a mission to secure the best possible deal for Scottish coastal and island communities, irrespective of constitutional developments.

But, for this to happen, it is essential the Scottish and UK governments work together as a team to produce the best possible outcome. Teamwork is the key to success; and one that has the potential to unlock a whole new sea of opportunity for our precious fishing communities.

Bertie Armstrong is the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation