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| Lochhead attends "valuable" talks | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Scotland's new fisheries minister has described his first talks on fishing quotas with European ministers as "instructive" and "valuable". | |
| Richard Lochhead was speaking after attending the European Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Luxembourg. | |
| Representatvies from the Scottish Fisheries Federation (SFF) also attended in support of the minister. | |
| The SNP has previously criticised Europe's control of the Scottish fleet. | |
| Mr Lochhead described his attendance as the first cabinet minister of the new Scottish government to attend the talks as a "privilege". | |
| Watching 27 countries, some landlocked, debating fishing policy underlined the importance of giving the historic fishing nation of Scotland a much greater say Richard Lochhead Blether with Brian | |
| He said he had also attended a constructive meeting with DEFRA secretary of state David Miliband and UK Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw. | |
| He said: "It was very instructive to observe the way the UK Government handles the current arrangements. | |
| "We agreed to begin discussions on how we can work more effectively together." | |
| Mr Lochhead has said he intends to fight for "radical changes" in Scotland's favour to the current fishing quotas. | |
| He added: "Watching 27 countries, some landlocked, debating fishing policy underlined the importance of giving the historic fishing nation of Scotland a much greater say on the future of our fishing communities." | |
| Background issue | Background issue |
| SFF chief executive Bertie Armstrong, who travelled with the minister, said his presence in Luxembourg represented closer co-operation between the industry and its management. | |
| He said: "The agenda of this June Council is, vital as it is, in many ways less important than these first moves that have been made in creating the future framework of a closer working relationship between fishermen and the Scottish government." | |
| 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. |
| But Mr 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. | However, he said it was an important background issue. |
| "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," he said | |
| "We have been asking for that for a while." | |
| Mr Lochhead said the SNP's policy was to eventually have Scotland leading for the whole of the UK in fisheries talks. | Mr Lochhead said the SNP's policy was to eventually have Scotland leading for the whole of the UK in fisheries talks. |