Photo: SFA

Improvement in fisheries science secures monkfish quota increase

Fishermen in Shetland have welcomed an increase in monkfish quotas for next year, as agreed this week by the UK and the European Union as part of an annual fisheries agreement.

Having regularly highlighted concerns over a lack of investment in fisheries science, the Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) has held up monkfish as an example of how unfair quota cuts – due to a lack of scientific knowledge – can be mitigated by committing extra resources to proper assessments of fish stocks.

Agrees quota levels for the following key species =>

For years, monkfish was considered to be “data deficient”, with continuing precautionary quota cuts enacted as a result.

However, a recent scientific benchmark of the monkfish stock – considering new data submissions, including from industry – resulted in enough information being gathered for the species to be upgraded to a full analytical assessment.

SFA executive officer Daniel Lawson said: “Putting the funding and scientific effort into losing the ‘data deficient’ label long attached to monkfish has resulted in a notable quota increase for this valuable species, an important component of vessels’ landings – and an economic boon for our community.

“This shows what can be sustainably achieved by targeted investment in fisheries science. Data deficient stocks are the scourge of fisheries management. Quotas are slashed, and fishing crews lose out, through no fault of their own – but because adequate resources have not been put in to answering scientific unknowns.

“This agreement brings monkfish quotas back to where they were in previous years, and rights the wrong of recent precautionary quota cuts driven by the problem of data deficiency. For other species affected, fishing crews stand ready to assist with filling in the blanks of fisheries science.”

The published UK/EU fisheries agreement for 2025 is available online here

Source: Shetland Fishermen's Association / Shetland Fish Producers' Organisation.

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