IN YOUR leader on Tuesday you managed to cast a long shadow over the Scottish fishing industry.
We believe your analysis is out of date, defeatist and unsupported by the facts. The one meaningful statistic that you offered - a landing figure of 200,000 tonnes - is simply wrong. The real figure for landings of Scottishbased vessels is 483,000 tonnes and the value of that catch has risen by 16-per cent in real terms from last year.
You compare us to heavy industry and mining, but we are still here and, despite your prophecies of doom, will be for years.
Are we in a different form from the days of the last Icelandic cod war some 30 years ago? Of course we are - but which industry in the world hasn't changed over that period.
We are not trying to say there are no significant challenges to face - of course there are; neither are we saying that with the benefit of hindsight things might have been different. What we are saying is that today's launch of an action plan for sustainable sea fisheries will, with the engagement of all of us in the fishing industry, including the retailers, the processors, environmental bodies and the Scottish Executive, help us meet the challenges.
Your leader looked backwards, which is the wrong way to gaze.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive, Scottish Fishermen's Federation; Alex West, President, SFF; Mike Park, vice-president, SFF.
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