Karen Adam SNP MSP Welcomes Economic Link Update to Keep Value and Jobs in Scotland’s Coastal Communities

“This is about protecting the whole supply chain, and who can argue with keeping value and livelihoods rooted in our coastal towns?”

Karen Adam MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of an emergency update to Economic Link landing requirements for 2026, describing it as a practical step to keep more pelagic value, and the jobs supported by that value, anchored in Scotland during a year of reduced quota and increased pressure across the supply chain.

From 1 January 2026, the Economic Link licence condition will move from a combined requirement to a species specific requirement. That means 70% of mackerel landings must be made into Scotland and 70% of herring landings must be made into Scotland in 2026, up from the current combined 55% requirement across the two species. The measures will apply for 2026 and will be kept under review.

The change comes as pelagic processors prepare for significant quota reductions next year, with factories facing fixed costs, contractual obligations and the challenge of sustaining a skilled workforce when volumes tighten.

Karen Adam MSP has met with processors, workers and industry representatives across the North East, and has raised in Holyrood the need to ensure Scotland’s quota works to the benefit of Scotland’s coastal communities.

Welcoming the announcement, Karen Adam MSP said:

“Anyone involved in pelagic fishing and processing knows how quickly pressure travels through the chain when volume drops. When that happens, the question becomes very practical: how do we keep the remaining value, the wages, the contracts, and the investment circulating through Scotland’s ports and towns, rather than seeing it slip away?

“I welcome the Scottish Government’s decision to take an emergency measure for 2026, and I especially welcome the clarity of what’s being introduced.

“Until now, the Economic Link requirement for mackerel and herring was combined, meaning one species could effectively make up for the other. From 1 January, it becomes species-specific: 70% of mackerel into Scotland and 70% of herring into Scotland. That is a meaningful change, and it is right that everyone understands exactly what it means.

“I’ve heard strong views from across the sector, some who want a tougher approach, and others who oppose any change at all. That is why keeping this under review matters. We need a measure that remains workable for the catching sector, but it must also recognise a basic truth, that onshore processing capacity is a strategic asset for coastal Scotland. When jobs, skills and contracts are lost, they are incredibly difficult to rebuild, and the knock on impact is felt well beyond the factory gate.

“This is about economic importance, plain and simple. Fish landed into Scotland means activity on our quaysides, shifts in our factories, business for local hauliers and suppliers, and money spent in the local shops that keep towns going. Nobody can argue with the principle that Scotland’s quota should deliver the maximum benefit for Scotland’s communities.

“And it matters that Scotland is choosing to act. While Westminster has allocated Scotland under 8% of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund using Barnett, a population mechanism that does not reflect the scale of our fishing industry, so the Scottish Government is using the powers we do have to protect livelihoods and keep value here. That is what it looks like when decisions are taken close to the industry: Scotland looks out for Scotlands industry.”

Karen Adam MSP added that she encourages continued engagement from across the sector as the measures are kept under review, to ensure the approach remains proportionate, practical and responsive to changing circumstances.