7 September, 2007

SCOTTISH fishermen can earn extra days at sea under a new scheme developed by the Scottish Government and the industry.

Under the pilot scheme, announced last night (Thursday) at the Scottish Fishing Federation annual dinner in Edinburgh, an independent on board observer will verify that cod was less than five per cent of the total catch per fishing trip.

Funded by the government, fishing secretary Richard Lochhead said that the scheme was another example of how the SNP minority administration was working with the fishing industry to conserve cod stocks.

"This scheme will reward Scottish skippers who are able to use their expertise to avoid cod. It is essential to harness the skill and knowledge of fishermen in order to allow other forms of fishing with minimal by-catches of cod," Mr Lochhead said.

"The observer pilot has been worked up with the industry over the past two months. It builds on the launch last week of real-time area closures scheme also jointly developed with the industry, whereby fishermen can temporarily avoid fishing in areas with high concentrations of small cod."

Meanwhile SFF president Ian Gatt took the opportunity of last night's dinner to point out that it was in Scotland's interest to have a profitable fishing industry.

He said the sea was one of Scotland's greatest national assets and the fishing industry was determined to protect this precious resource to ensure a profitable and sustainable future.

"The mainstay species for the Scottish fleet are in good health and the fleet is now at the right size to fish for these stocks sustainably," Mr Gatt said.

"The good news is that the fleet has returned to profitability, there is an air of optimism for the future and new vessels will join the industry in the coming years.

"However, we need more young people coming into the industry to serve these new vessels and we are glad to see colleges all over the country having a full uptake for their fishery courses."