A visit by Commission officials to Scotland planned for next week (31 March/1 April) will include a meeting in Edinburgh with an industry/government group, where the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation will press the EC for a rethink on its effort control plans that are threatening the economic viability of large sections of the Scottish fleet.
The SFF welcomes the opportunity to deliver directly to the Commission the cross section of opinions from the quayside about a particularly difficult 2009. The West Coast restrictions and the new Cod Recovery Plan were signed up to by the Council of Ministers at a time when the global financial situation was worsening, but not at its present state of complete turmoil.
SFF chief executive Bertie Armstrong said: “At the heart of this discussion is the economic viability for whole sections of the fleet. The regulations aim to reduce fishing mortality through effort reduction, but the actual impact will directly affect the financial viability of fishing vessels.
“Income cannot be generated if boats are tied-up alongside the quay – in other words, a reduction in time at sea directly equals a reduction in income. Measures and innovations which reduce fishing mortality, particularly on cod in the North Sea are being pursued for the second year running and the industry is working strenuously and making real sacrifices to reduce fishing mortality.
“But our message for the Commission will be uncompromising – no proper economic impact assessment was done before the measures were agreed and now the severity of plans is unfolding before our eyes.
“We will be demanding that the Commission monitors two key areas very closely: firstly, what is the real economic impact of the measures on the fleet? Secondly, is the available effort enough to allow the uptake of quota? To repeat a statement consistently made, we must make sure that if the new regulations are unworkable, then we will clearly highlight to the government and Commission that the plans are failing us, and it is not the industry that is failing the plans.
“The SFF pledges to play a full part in the Conservation Credits Scheme, but as the representatives of the men at sea we have a duty to make it plain to government and to the Commission the practical impact of the effort cuts. Nobody is advocating that stock recovery be compromised, but we cannot allow the medicine to kill the patient.”
