Liberal Democrat Shadow Fisheries Secretary Mike Rumbles said that as well as admitting the panel did not yet exist, Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead had told him that the panel will not have to take legal advice, and will have no requirement to consult with the Westminster Government or the EU.

Mr Rumbles added:

“A fortnight ago, the First Minister claimed that his government had set up an expert panel to develop alternatives to the Common Fisheries Policy.

“Today, I am exposing it as an utter sham. The Fisheries Secretary has confirmed to me that the panel doesn’t yet exist. He admitted that when it does get up and running it will have no requirement to take legal advice and no requirement to consult with governments in London or Brussels.

“This is just another talking shop invented by a First Minster with his back against a wall. This is a pointless time wasting exercise as Scotland cannot leave the Common Fisheries Policy without leaving the EU, and the First Minister and the Fisheries Secretary know this very well. To suggest otherwise is a blatant attempt to mislead the Scottish public and the fishing industry.

"Instead of talking endlessly and pointlessly to each other about an illegal policy, the SNP should engage constructively with the UK and Europe to support Scotland's fishing industry."

Mr Lochhead told Mr Rumbles in a parliamentary answer that

he believes the expert panel's report will provide a "valuable contribution" to developing fisheries policies in Scotland and to the wider debate across Europe on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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