27 November, 2007

SHETLAND MSP Tavish Scott yesterday (Monday) called on the Scottish Government to give priority to defending the Scottish fishing fleet's time to fish - its days at sea - at this December's meeting of the EU Fisheries Council.

Speaking after discussing the mixed outcome of the EU/Norway fishing talks with the Shetland Fishermen's Association, Mr Scott said: "Defending the Scottish whitefish fleet's fishing time, against the European Commission's wish to cut the days at sea, is the challenge the fisheries minister now faces.

"With scientists finally accepting that cod stocks have benefited from the restructuring of the fleet, now is not the time to impose any further cuts in fishing time.

"If the minister comes back from Brussels with any reduction in the whitefish fleet's days at sea, he will have failed."

Commenting on the mixed outcome of the EU/Norway talks, he added: "The cuts in the quotas for haddock and whiting are worrying and are only partly offset by the welcome increase in cod quota - though that increase is less than ministers told parliament last week that they would get.

"But of course, whatever the quota is, fishermen need time to catch the fish, so the cod quota gain will be lost if the minister accepts any cut in the fleet's days at sea.

"The pelagic news from the EU/Norway talks is also poor. The 42 per cent cut in herring, when added to the 9 per cent cut in mackerel, is extremely worrying and will undermine the viability of the pelagic fleet."