SNP President Ian Hudghton MEP today (Wednesday) welcomed an announcement by the European Commission that it is initiating a consultation on eliminating discards in European fisheries. At present, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fish are annually thrown back into the sea as a result of CFP regulations.

Mr Hudghton went on, however, to state that changes to the operation of the CFP are no substitute for the return of fisheries management to national control. The SNP believes that Scotland's fisheries should be managed by the Scottish Parliament, with co-operation taking place with neighbouring countries with similar fishing interests.

Mr Hudghton said:

"The final realisation on the part of the Commission that discards are environmentally and economically unsustainable is to be welcomed. The enforced throwing back of healthy fish into the sea has long been an obscenity.

"Whatever plan the Commission comes up with however will be no substitute for the return of fisheries management to national control. Whilst the Commission has launched a consultation on eliminating discards, the final outcome of the process will still be decided behind closed doors in Brussels.

"Tinkering with the CFP will never bring about a satisfactory outcome. Countries with thriving fishing sectors, such as Norway and Iceland, benefit from having full control over their marine resources. It's therefore time that control over Scotland's fisheries was brought back to Scotland".