Prominent fishing industry leader William Tait Senior has given his personal endorsement to the SNP candidates in Banff & Buchan and in Gordon to be strong champions for Scottish fishing.
Mr. Tait cast doubt on the Conservative's promise to leave the CFP and said that the SNP would be strong champions for Scottish fishing who would hold Westminster to account on their promises to the sector.
Mr. Tait Senior is a highly-regarded figure within the Scottish fishing sector - having been a fisherman for over 40 years, and still actively involved in the sector on the catching and processing side.
Endorsing the SNP candidates Paul Robertson and Richard Thomson, Mr Tait said:
"It is my personal view that the SNP is the only Party to have outlined a credible vision for Scottish fishing that would release the potential of our sector and help us achieve the outcomes of the “Sea of Opportunity” that industry wants.
"A catching policy based on zonal allocation of fishing opportunities - as the SNP advocates - would be a fairer deal for Scottish fishing and help the sector increase our share of the fish stocks caught within our coastal waters for the benefit of our coastal communities and wider economies. It would also protect our place in the Single Market, giving our processors access to the labour they need and allowing Scottish seafood to continue to be exported tariff-free to its European market."
"I do question whether other political parties’ proposals on fishing - which lack detail and are more concerned with soundbites - stand up to real challenge and scrutiny. I - and many others - am concerned that the UK Government, during the UK-EU Brexit trade negotiations that are still to come, will simply disregard fishing here in Scotland and trade away the real opportunities that exist for our sector."
"The SNP have a detailed, positive vision for the whole industry that represents a safer and better future from what I believe are empty promises from the Conservatives. For these reasons, I'm giving my full backing to Paul and Richard to be the strong voices that Scottish fishing needs and hold Westminster to account on their promises to the sector."
Paul Robertson, SNP Candidate for Banff & Buchan, said:
"I am delighted to have Willie's backing to be the next MP for Banff & Buchan. "The reality is that Boris Johnson's Brexit deal will be ten times worse for Scottish fishing than what we have at the moment.
"A vote for the SNP is a vote to protect Scottish fishing and to protect against another Tory sell-out of a key sector of our economy."
