The ALBA Party has launched a scathing attack on the UK Government following news that European fishing vessels will be allowed continued access to Scottish waters for another 12 years under a proposed deal with the European Union.
Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that a re-negotiated agreement with the EU would grant this extension, sparking fury among Scottish independence campaigners.
Angus Brendan MacNeil, a member of ALBA’s National Executive Committee and former MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, didn’t mince his words.
“This is a sell out of Scotland’s fisheries and Scotland’s fishermen,” he said, accusing Westminster of treating Scotland’s natural resources as disposable trade currency.
He pointed to a long-running pattern, saying that whether it’s oil, fish, or energy infrastructure, Scotland’s assets are too often treated as bargaining chips in deals made far from home.
But MacNeil’s message wasn’t simply one of protest.
He laid down a challenge, framing next year’s general election as a moment of decision.
“Scotland has a choice,” he said.
“We can moan, or we can do something positive and move to independence.”
According to ALBA, independence would place Scotland’s coastal economy back in its own hands.
The party argues that as a member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), an independent Scotland could better protect its marine resources while still benefiting from access to European markets.
MacNeil believes that only with self-governance can Scotland’s fishing communities enjoy the future they deserve.
“Scotland’s fish stocks are expendable as part of the UK,” he said.
“But with independence, they’re a national asset to be nurtured and protected.”
The reaction reflects growing tension between Scottish fishing communities and the UK Government over how post-Brexit arrangements have played out.
Promises of “taking back control” of Britain’s waters were made loudly in the run-up to the 2016 referendum, but for many in Scotland’s coastal industries, those pledges have rung hollow.
ALBA’s criticism also signals their strategy ahead of the next election, positioning themselves as the independence movement’s clearest voice for Scotland’s fishing industry.
With fishing rights long seen as a symbol of sovereignty and self-reliance, it’s a message they believe will resonate across coastal communities who feel forgotten in both London and Brussels.
As the UK prepares to enter fresh talks with the EU, the fate of Scotland’s seas is once again on the table — and for ALBA, that’s one negotiation too far.
