The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation is calling for urgent action to revise the ‘totally unworkable’ regulations controlling the number of days that fishing vessels put to sea that were agreed last December at the EC Fish Council in Brussels.
There is deep anger and frustration within the Scottish fishing industry over the effort control regulations that are affecting the economic viability of large sections of the fishing fleet. Recent angry exchanges in the Scottish Parliament have further highlighted the depth of feeling on the issue in fishing communities across Scotland.
The Federation will be meeting with Scottish Government and European Commission officials tomorrow (Tuesday 31 March) and Wednesday where it will press for immediate action to resolve the issue.
Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation said: “The scene is set by the unmistakable message from the men at sea – that the regulations controlling days at sea, worked up over 2008 and agreed finally by the Council of Ministers last December are unworkable. There was no proper economic impact assessment done at the time of introduction and the real truth is now becoming apparent – lack of days at sea to harvest fish sustainably is threatening the viability of sectors of the industry.
“All of us involved: the industry, governments in Edinburgh and Whitehall and the European Commission, must now take the essential next step and urgently look for practical change to the regulations.
“There is no industry which is unaffected by the world economic turmoil. Every business is looking at its regulatory framework and business plans. The fishing industry will simply not accept any heel dragging.
“There must be no resistance to this process of urgently seeking change. The deal signed up to in December by member states can be defended no longer – the world has changed radically. If we are to survive we must have a new approach to the crucial matter of days at sea. The Scottish industry has led the way in fish stock sustainability and this part will not change one bit; however, there are choices over the speed and strength of measures. These can and must be adjusted to ensure the sustainability of the industry itself.”
