Worker immigration policy changes condemned by fishing sector

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Fishing boat moored in the colorful harbor of portree, isle of skye, scotland - Getty Images

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The UK government’s changes to immigration policy have been criticised by the Scottish government and industry

The Scottish government and fishing industry have slammed Whitehall’s move to tighten immigration policy for the sector.

Announcements made in October by Keir Starmer’s government outlined substantial reforms that will reshape how the fishing industry can access overseas labour using the Skilled Worker visa system.

The changes, which come into force throughout 2026, include a rise in the English language threshold for migrant workers and their partners in the UK.

It also spells the end to concessions to fishing-related roles under the Temporary Shortage List, with fishing occupations not appearing in future shortage lists.

Spelling out the implications of the changes, Seafish said overseas hiring for fishing roles would end after 31 December 2026 and asserted there would be an outsized impact on regions where “a large proportion of the fleet rely on migrant labour”.

“These changes will have far-reaching consequences for the UK fishing industry,” said the organisation’s head of industry workforce issues, Neil McAleese.

Approached for comment regarding Seafish’s concerns, a spokesperson for the Scottish government condemned the UK government’s decisions.

Holyrood asserted the policies, included in May’s UK Immigration White Paper, posed a risk to Scotland’s economy and communities, and failed to recognise the importance of international workers to the devolved nation.

“The changes to the Skilled Worker visa salary and skills thresholds will only serve to make it harder for Scottish businesses across multiple sectors, including the marine sector, to fill vacancies,” the spokesperson said. “Scottish ministers will continue to call on the UK government to deliver tailored migration solutions for Scotland and prevent harm to our economy, communities, and public services.”

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, also said Scotland, particularly the west of the nation, would be hardest hit by the changes along with Northern Ireland. She noted it would be challenging for parts of the UK’s fleet that rely on foreign workers for their crewing needs.

“If the UK government is serious about growth, then it needs to enable and assist businesses rather than restrict them,” she said. “Defra has been carrying out a project looking at how to develop a pipeline of domestic workers for the seafood sector, but this has not yet been completed and, even when the work reports its recommendations, there will be considerable challenges to overcome.”

She added that the government’s wider agenda “does not seem to give much priority to our sector as food producers”, and that the changes “are an example of that”.

Approached for comment, a UK government spokesperson said its Immigration White Paper set out a comprehensive plan to fix what it dubbed the country’s “broken immigration system”, which includes an end to reliance on overseas labour.

“We are grateful to our overseas workers in the fishing industry, but net migration must come down, and we must end reliance on overseas labour,” the spokesperson said. “It is vital that the industry looks to the domestic workforce to fill vacancies and tackle concerns around labour shortages.”