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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Fishing quota talks get under way | Fishing quota talks get under way |
| (about 12 hours later) | |
| Scotland's new fisheries minister has travelled to Luxembourg for talks on fish quotas with European ministers. | Scotland's new fisheries minister has travelled to Luxembourg for talks on fish quotas with European ministers. |
| Richard Lochhead has pledged to "energetically" fight the Scottish fishing industry's corner. | Richard Lochhead has pledged to "energetically" fight the Scottish fishing industry's corner. |
| The SNP has previously criticised the annual fish talks, which it had accused of bringing quota cuts and decommissioning the Scottish fleet. | |
| The party has in the past campaigned for the Scottish fishing industry to be pulled out of Europe's control. | The party has in the past campaigned for the Scottish fishing industry to be pulled out of Europe's control. |
| Mr Lochhead, whose brief as rural affairs secretary includes fishing, has travelled to the meeting as part of the British delegation. | Mr Lochhead, whose brief as rural affairs secretary includes fishing, has travelled to the meeting as part of the British delegation. |
| He has said he will fight for "radical changes" in Scotland's favour, and has announced plans to have the Scottish Fishermen's Federation in his support team, giving trawlermen a direct say in negotiation strategy. | |
| Background issue | |
| Scientists have recommended a total ban on catching North Sea cod, and huge cuts in quotas for plaice and haddock. | Scientists have recommended a total ban on catching North Sea cod, and huge cuts in quotas for plaice and haddock. |
| Scottish Fishermen's Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong said the cod proposals were not one of the specific parts of the discussions in Luxembourg. | |
| However, he said it was an important background issue. | |
| Scotland really is sidelined far too often Richard LochheadFisheries Minister | |
| "It is not necessarily the content of these talks that is the most important part - it is the fact that we are here, closer to it, and therefore able to exercise a little bit of extra influence. | |
| "We have been asking for that for a while," he said. | |
| Mr Lochhead said the SNP's policy was to eventually have Scotland leading for the whole of the UK in fisheries talks. | |
| He said it was vital that Scotland's interests were served in the discussions which would lead up to the vital meetings in December to set quotas. | |
| "Scotland really is sidelined far too often," he added. |