Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead today welcomed the report from the Inquiry into the Future of Fisheries Management (IFFM).
“This timely and powerful report will make a substantial contribution to the immediate debate on the future of EU fisheries policy and the long-term future of our fishing communities.
“This is a landmark report that lays out the big challenges ahead in terms of safeguarding our fish stocks and our fishing communities.
“Importantly, the report delivers a clarion call for the radical overhaul of EU fishing policy given the damage inflicted in recent decades by the Common Fisheries Policy. It rightly refers to Scotland’s seas as the ‘graveyard for the EU’s attempt at management’.”
“It also joins the Scottish Government in calling for an end to the ’embarrassment’ of ‘hugely wasteful’ discards and emphasises the good sense of having fishing effort managed regionally rather than by Brussels.
“It also delivers many strong messages on fisheries conservation and suggests measures that are more suited for Scotland’s waters than the current ill-fitting policies designed in Brussels.
“In reaching the 24 recommendations contained in the document, this independent panel sought and considered submissions from more than 80 experts representing the industry, science, academia, NGOs, government, EU Commission, and individuals.
“The recommendations of the Inquiry will be considered fully, and we are confident that much of what we are already doing chimes with this report.
“We will now work to study the report in detail and see how we can incorporate its findings into achieving a fishing industry that remains profitable and successful into the future.”
An independent panel was established in 2009 to enquire into the future of fisheries management in Scotland amid growing dissatisfaction throughout the Scottish fishing industry with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The terms of reference for the inquiry were to develop alternative models of future fisheries management best suited to the circumstances of the Scottish fisheries sector and which also optimised the benefits for coastal communities and the marine environment.
Evidence and opinion taken from more than 80 experts representing the industry (catching through to retail), science, academia, NGOs, government, EU Commission, and individuals.
The Inquiry panel is headed up by Alan Campbell CBE, former Chief Executive of Aberdeenshire Council and Grampian Regional Council.
