Skeetick

This makes no sense to your point?? Answer me this - If the Foreign crew is paid the minimum wage do you think it is ok for the SIC to loan the money and allocate quota? If these foreigners wages were doubled what benefit is it to the SIC? You seem to be very anti-foreign employment here. Agencies are used all over the world in all many industry's! They are used to provide skilled labourers to the correct department & assist in obtaining work permits, Visa's, travel arrangements, relief crew, - Not as a hidden dungeon to grab a slave! How do you think a skilled Filipino Fisherman is found? Search on google perhaps?? NO, you contact an agent in the Philippines where these fisherman apply, to seek employment!

Paulb - What is your gripe here?? Is it to abolish foreign labour? Is it to not support local businesses? is it to blacken the fisherman as slave drivers?? What is you're point?? Is it not a good thing that the SIC are supporting local businesses? I for one believe local businesses should be supported as it provides the life blood into the communities of Shetland and gives future to a dying industry! You are speaking as if the money has been gifted - It's a loan! The fishing industry supports hundreds of on-shore workers from many sectors including - net menders, ice factory's, engineers, local shops, fish factory's, fish buyers, shipping agents, haulage companies and so on.... If you would go and do research before blabbering on and branding these fisherman as cruel slave drivers then you may discover how happy these Filipino guys are. I know many of them first hand and I also know of some guys who could not make it back to the Shetland fleet due to Visa restrictions and they are heart broken and begging for there 'captains' to fight there case and get them back. These Filipinos are here under there own will and go home rich men. Nobody is forcing them to be here and I'm sure they and there family's back in the Philippines thank there lucky stars they have a well paying job! Please go and talk to them, ask them how happy they are and then come back on here! Just out of interest how much are these Filipinos being paid per week PaulB? You seem to be an expert on the matter.

No probs. As I say I cannot rate them high enough. We had a terrible time getting a mortgage. We are young(ish), on a decent wage, no debt, had a good deposit yet it still seemed very difficult until we stumbled across Scottish Building Society. Good luck with the house build - Its not easy but well worth it!

We are building a house at the moment and got our mortgage through 'Scottish Building Society' I would highly recommend them 100% - We had a real struggle finding a lender for a self build. The construction of our house is timber frame & timber clad which is non-standard construction believe it or not, and this caused problems. The moment I got speaking to Scottish building society was like a breath of fresh air. They have an office in Inverness and are the best to deal with. The lady I deal with is Gwen Dingwall - Very very helpful! Here is there number Tel: 01463 234423