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Richard Lochhead, the Scottish Fisheries Secretary. (Photo: EC)
2011 shows good possibilities for fishery management shifts
UNITED KINGDOM
Wednesday, January 05, 2011, 15:20 (GMT + 9)
Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead is hopeful that the country’s fishing industry can implement long overdue changes in fisheries management while also ensuring higher profits this year.
After the yearly European Union (EU) fisheries negotiations and the 2011 EU-Norway agreement, Scotland made conservation a priority whilst simultaneously safeguarding greater fishing opportunities for certain stocks, and cutting reductions when scientifically supported.
Scotland is also enlarging the 'catch quota' scheme, through which vessels can increase landings provided there is no discarding.
"2011 will be a pivotal year for Scotland's fisheries with renewed efforts to promote Scottish seafood and long awaited opportunities to address some of the fundamental flaws in EU fisheries management that continues to undermine the industry's potential,” Lochhead declared.
He also said that 2011 must be the year in which Europe solves the dilemma of discards, which Lochhead believes is exacerbated by Brussels’ policie
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| Prawns landings. (Photo: FIS) |
s. Meanwhile, the Scottish fleet is “bending over backwards” to carry out conservation measures.
"Thankfully we were able to mitigate much of the EU's proposed cuts for next year, while adhering to the scientific advice. Indeed, with higher value fisheries protected, fishing could actually contribute more to the Scottish economy this year than in 2010,” he went on.
Lochhead elaborated that the West Coast fishery is experiencing both pros and cons, with a boost in high value megrim quota and a meager cut in monkfish to help counteract those in West Coast cod and whiting. Prawn landings from the West Coast and North Sea can be kept at last year’s levels.
Scotland has also alleviated a cut in North Sea cod by securing an enlargement to its catch quota trials, whereby fishers land all the fish they catch without the discarding forced by the EU's controversial Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), he told.
"… It's a travesty that Scotland is being prevented from including all interested vessels in a scheme that is all about reducing discards!” Lochhead stated. "This year we plan to invite a few vessels to take part in an expanded multi-species trial that goes beyond cod, applying this innovative approach to haddock and whiting also.”
The agreed catch quota expansion will more than double the 17 boats now involved in the trial to land an extra amount equal to 12 per cent of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for cod. The Scottish Government has addressed the European Commission (EC) describing the scheme selection criteria and list of applicants and requesting their agreement to advance.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) affirmed there is still a “bright future” for fish stocks and those whose income depends on them -- if ‘at risk’ stocks such as cod are offered greater protection.
WWF also reiterated its calls for progressive reform of the CFP and for the Scottish Government to allow more fisheries to achieve sustainable levels.
“During 2011 we call on political parties to commit in their manifestos to help more Scottish fisheries progress through MSC certification pre-assessment so that all fisheries are certified sustainable by 2015," said WWF Scotland’s Marine Policy Officer, Dr Mireille Thom.
Related article:
- WWF assesses state of Scotland’s main whitefish stocks
By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
Photo Courtesy of FIS Member  European Commission - Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
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