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THE Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has expressed dismay and anger at the news that the EC is set to impose further cuts in the number of days that Scottish whitefish and prawn vessels can put to sea on top of the draconian reductions already proposed for 2012.
Whilst there is confusion over the detail over what the EC is now proposing, it would appear that the Commission is imposing these additional cuts as a penalty on fishing fleets that it deems to have exceeded the amount of fishing effort allowed in 2011, which will deal a serious blow to a number of EU fleets, including Scotland. The effort control scheme is part of the EC’s cod recovery plan and the Scottish fleet is already facing the grim prospect of being only able to fish four days every fortnight next year under initial EC proposals announced recently.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the SFF, said that if these additional and totally unwarranted cuts were implemented on top of the automatic reductions already proposed, then it would deal a “hammer-blow” to the Scottish fleet.
He said: “This latest bombshell from the EC is totally is incomprehensible and doesn’t recognise the real and tangible conservation efforts made by our fishermen that has resulted in the recovery of the cod stock.
“The current level of cuts already proposed would cause critical damage to the fleet in its own right, but if these additional reductions came into force, then the impact would be unthinkable.”
As well as participating in effort control, the Scots industry has been spearheading the use of other conservation initiatives such as closed areas and the development of selective fishing gears as a more viable way of conserving stocks.
“The Scottish and UK Governments must apply all pressure on the EC to ensure it sees sense so that these totally unwarranted proposals are ditched,” Mr Armstrong added.
Whilst there is confusion over the detail over what the EC is now proposing, it would appear that the Commission is imposing these additional cuts as a penalty on fishing fleets that it deems to have exceeded the amount of fishing effort allowed in 2011, which will deal a serious blow to a number of EU fleets, including Scotland. The effort control scheme is part of the EC’s cod recovery plan and the Scottish fleet is already facing the grim prospect of being only able to fish four days every fortnight next year under initial EC proposals announced recently.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the SFF, said that if these additional and totally unwarranted cuts were implemented on top of the automatic reductions already proposed, then it would deal a “hammer-blow” to the Scottish fleet.
He said: “This latest bombshell from the EC is totally is incomprehensible and doesn’t recognise the real and tangible conservation efforts made by our fishermen that has resulted in the recovery of the cod stock.
“The current level of cuts already proposed would cause critical damage to the fleet in its own right, but if these additional reductions came into force, then the impact would be unthinkable.”
As well as participating in effort control, the Scots industry has been spearheading the use of other conservation initiatives such as closed areas and the development of selective fishing gears as a more viable way of conserving stocks.
“The Scottish and UK Governments must apply all pressure on the EC to ensure it sees sense so that these totally unwarranted proposals are ditched,” Mr Armstrong added.
