Building a New Scotland: Our marine sector in an independent Scotland

What our proposals mean for Scotland

In an independent Scotland, future Scottish Governments and the Scottish Parliament could use the full powers other independent nations currently have to protect Scotland’s marine, coastal and freshwater environments and support the industries and communities that they sustain.

The proposals in this publication are designed to allow Scotland to:

• gain EU membership which would provide free access to the EU single market for Scottish seafood exporters. Our seafood businesses, coastal communities and marine science sector would benefit from the freedom of movement that would come with EU membership
• negotiate with the EU for an equitable share of funding to support our seafood industries, our coastal communities and our marine science sector, exceeding what the UK is currently offering Scotland
• make a proactive, positive and constructive contribution to the development of current and future EU law – such as reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy
• negotiate in our own right in fisheries and other international negotiations, without needing UK Government consent or Scottish priorities being diluted by other UK interests
• gain full legislative and financial decision making powers. We would no longer have decisions made for us by the UK Government or rely on its consent to support sectors such as offshore wind energy.