9 November, 2007

A VOLUNTARY pilot scheme to conserve North Sea cod stocks is to be extended, the Scottish Government announced yesterday (Thursday).

From yesterday skippers will sound the alert and avoid areas where they find larger juvenile cod of up to 50cm in length, rather than the 35cm initially advocated under the scheme.

Under this approach, which will run until the end of the year, the government will then close off any area that is found to have a high abundance of under-sized cod.

Fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead said: "Reports from the industry so far show that vessels have been actively avoiding areas where undersized cod are likely to be in abundance. These responsible actions have resulted in no need for a formal closure to date.

"This voluntary scheme shows that Scottish fishermen are setting an excellent example to the rest of Europe."

The move was welcomed by the industry as well as environmentalists.

Scottish Fishermen's Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong said: "It is important to see this important measure as one strand in a whole bundle of positive, proactive initiatives to make sure that the cod recovery now underway takes real hold.

"Innovative changes to net components, verification of cod avoidance by use of an observer programme and development of coherent strategies by area all parts of the Scottish fishing industry's much wider approach to sustainable fishing."

WWF marine policy officer Helen McLachlan added: "WWF welcome the move to increase the size of cod that will trigger a closure under the real time closure scheme to 50cm.

"We hope that these amendments will have the desired effect of improving the avoidance of immature cod, thus allowing them to survive to breed and contribute to the cod population in future years.

"This, alongside other measures such as improved selectivity and area avoidance, will be key in securing future stock recovery."