ABSTRACT
Of all the EU’s policies, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has evoked the greatest passions amongst sections of Scottish society. When the Council meets each December to agree the coming year’s total allowable catches, the fishermen’s income and sometimes their very employment are in the balance.2 The bulk of the fishing communities lie to the north and east of Scotland, although there are also significant elements of the industry in the Highlands and Islands. Traditionally, the bulk of UK catches have been in Scottish fishing grounds, and some parts of Scotland are heavily dependent on fishing. During the CFP’s early years, the fishermen enjoyed widespread public support but in recent decades, as stocks of fish have plummeted, alarm has mounted over its effects on the marine eco-system (see, for example, Holden c1991). In some quarters, therefore, the CFP has been deemed a failure, but there is little consensus on the alternative, because functionally at least, some form of international collaboration appears the optimum means of managing the fishing sector.
