As per the information the Scottish Government is backing a driving licence-style points system which could see fishermen suspended or banned from sea if they persistently break the rules. Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead told that he supports the principle of new sanctions drawn up by the European Commission which will see skippers handed penalty points for fishing offences from 2011.
It is said that trawlermen will see their fishing licences endorsed every time they offend, which could then lead to more serious penalties, including bans. The scheme is aimed at reducing overfishing for cod, haddock and hake in specified EU waters, and is part of a wide-ranging package of conservation measures which also includes satellite monitoring of vessels.
Commenting on this EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said the current fines were not stopping some fishermen from breaking the rules, but Lochhead says the Scottish fleet has “nothing to fear”. He added that Scotland’s commitment to conservation on the fisheries front is unrivalled across Europe and we have nothing to fear. John Buchan, skipper of the Peterhead-registered Fairline trawler, said if the new rules stop fishermen being dragged through the courts and given criminal records then they would be welcomed.
Borg said that fines and penalties used to be so insignificant that fishermen would simply include them in the cost of the operation and still make a profit if they got caught. The announcement of the new measures comes at a difficult time for the Scottish fishing industry, which is again facing crisis because of quota cuts being planned by Europe.
