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14 December 2009
FISHERMEN leaders and politicians are on their way to
Brussels today (Monday) for the traditional end of year
tussle over fishing quotas.
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This year’s
negotiations among EU nations have been further
complicated by the collapse of the EU-Norway talks
earlier this month.
The ratification
of the Lisbon Treaty has also added a further layer
as the European parliament is for |
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To listen to
Scottish fishing minister Richard Lochhead, click on
his photo. |
| the first time involved in
some aspects of the talks. |
Traditionally the
negotiations over access to stocks in the North Sea shared
with Norway have been concluded before the start of the
Brussels talks.
However, because of a conflict over Norwegian access to
mackerel in the UK sector of the North Sea, several rounds
of talks have been held in November and December with next
to no progress.
Subsequently quotas for North Sea cod, haddock, mackerel and
herring have not yet been agreed upon, and will now not be
decided before January 2010 at the earliest when the
EU-Norway talks are set to resume.
Scottish fishing minister Richard Lochhead said: “Once again
we head into these talks determined to strike the best deal
for our fishermen and our seas. This council promises
another extremely tough round of negotiations set against a
very challenging economic backdrop.
"They also present an additional challenge as last week's
failure to conclude the EU-Norway talks means many quotas
will not be finalised until those talks resume in the new
year.
“The quota for our most valuable stock - prawns - will be
decided, along with monkfish and megrim, but cod, haddock
and mackerel quotas will not.
"That does not mean boats will not be able to fish in the
New Year. Interim arrangements will be put in place at the
council to ensure fishermen will be able to continue making
a living.”
Meanwhile, the industry body representing Scottish fishermen
is calling on the European Union to place more trust in the
industry by implementing locally controlled management
measures.
Chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation,
Bertie Armstrong, said the fisheries council can now only
set TACs (total allowable catches) and quotas, but the
crucial technical measures such as mesh sizes and days at
sea, will have to be considered and decided by the European
parliament.
He said that this would make the process more democratic,
but also result in a longer drawn out process. |
"One possible result of
the Lisbon Treaty isto make it very difficult to continue
the old way of approaching fisheries regulation - centrally
controlled micro-management, which may force a move towards
decentralisation.
"Using whatever comes out
of this year's negotiations as a starting point, it should
be in the hands of government and industry to demonstrate
that we are capable of implementing regional management
measures, which because they are responding to local
conditions, will be much more effective than the broad-brush
approach of before."
As far as quotas for next year are concerned, following
scientific advice, North Sea cod is in line for an increase,
whilst West coast cod is facing a 25 per cent cut.
North Sea haddock is expecting 15 per cent reduction as part
of its long-term management plan, and West coast haddock is
also facing a significant cut.
For the prawn (langoustine) fishery, a cut of 7 per cent is
the initial proposal for the North Sea, with a reduction of
15 per cent for the West coast.
Overall totals of days at sea will be reduced by an
anticipated 10 per cent in the North Sea and 25 per cent in
the West of Scotland.
"This will present a serious management challenge for the
fleets affected by days-at-sea in 2010," said Mr Armstrong.
Mr Lochhead added: “Our priority this week is to find the
right balance between conserving stocks and supporting the
industry.
“The two are not mutually exclusive - our fishermen have
already shown they can lead the way on conservation and if
we can find a way to let them land more of what they catch
while reducing their overall fishing effort, we can reduce
discards, boost profitability and help our seas."
Meanwhile, environmental pressure group WWF Scotland is
praising the Scottish government for its approach to
safeguarding fish stocks.
The group is hosting a special event in Brussels later on
Monday urging EU member states to take a leaf out of
Scotland's book by adopting the innovative Scottish
conservation credits scheme
These measures include real time closures, gear regulations
and trialling CCTV on board fishing boats.
WWF Scotland’s marine policy officer Louize Hill said:
"Since its introduction in 2008 the conservation credits
scheme has played a significant role in helping stocks such
as cod to recover.
“Its success proves the importance of governments, industry
and NGO's working towards long-term management objectives in
fisheries, ensuring the future sustainability of stocks and
profitability of fleets.
“Simple measures can have huge benefits when they are
implemented and enforced adequately. Having all relevant
parties involved in the development of these measures has
ensured they are adopted willingly." |
