Hans J Marter

21 September 2009

FISHERMEN and environmentalists today (Monday) have both welcomed a report by an independent inquiry that denounces the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for its “systemic failures”.

The interim report of the Inquiry into Future Fisheries Management (IFFM), says that the CFP results in "gladiatorial" battles over quotas and that "fishermen experience the worst aspects of the current regime".

It also suggests a regional management model as the most promising means of reforming fisheries policy.

The inquiry was established in January to develop models of how Scotland could best manage its fisheries outwith the CFP.

The draft report will be presented to the Scottish Fisheries Council tomorrow (Tuesday).

Scottish fishing minister Richard Lochhead said: "The energy and effort that the inquiry has put into this authoritative report is clearly evident. It identifies the key challenges and proposes a positive way forward.

“This is the first meaningful contribution to the debate on the future of the CFP that we have seen from anywhere in Europe and it merits serious consideration.

"This report will help us develop our response to Europe's Green Paper on the future of the CFP and, longer-term, help us decide how we can best manage our seas once we regain control of fisheries policy."

Chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF), Bertie Armstrong welcomed the report as a vital part of ensuring effective reform of the CFP.

“No-one should under-estimate the real urgency for a major overhaul of the Common Fisheries Policy.

“There must be greater regional control of fisheries management and a transfer of responsibility to those best able to exercise it,” he said.

Louize Hill, marine policy officer of WWF, added that the environmental pressure group was largely happy with the findings of the report.

“If Scotland's and Europe's fisheries are to have a future then good regional governance accompanied by adequate compliance and enforcement is the only way forward.

“As this interim report finds, current policies are failing to conserve fish stocks and sustain jobs for communities.

"Scotland's fishermen are in a fantastic position to benefit from a real reform of the CFP, mainly because they are already putting much of what is already being proposed into action on a daily basis,” she said.

The IFFM membership is as follows: chairman Alan Campbell, recently chief executive of Aberdeenshire Council; David Symes, University of Hull; Prof Ian Boyd, St Andrew's University; Kjartan Hoydal, Secretary to North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission; Sandy West, Don Fishing Company; and Jennifer Russell, Anderson Solutions.

The UK has the largest share of EU waters and Scotland is responsible for around 70 per cent of key UK fishing quotas.