Land: UK

Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead today commented on talks underway in London to secure a new quota deal for North Atlantic mackerel.

Crucial talks between the EU, Norway, Iceland and the Faroes over mackerel quotas for 2011 will shape the future of Scottish pelagic fleet.

The NAFC Marine Centre has secured over £170,000 of funding from the Scottish government to study whiting and ling stocks in tandem with fishermen.

Poor weather conditions effected fishing patterns with some trawlers making shorter trips to the fishing grounds closer to harbour.
There was a growing shortage of some species for which local processors have established sales outlets because of the growing quotas shortage and other trawlers targeting squid.

Restricted with very bad weather recently, trawlers from Scotland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden are reporting good mackerel fishing in waters around the North of Scotland where the run of fish has moved fast from the east side of Bressey north of Muckle Flugga to around 50 miles east of Fitful Head where most trawlers were fishing last week.

The council is providing £300,000 grants to Shetland’s biggest salmon firm to refurbish and upgrade its hatchery at Girlsta.

Scientists have urged the need of a satisfactory resolution to the ongoing mackerel dispute.

As Jonathan Shepherd, Director General of IFFO, is retiring in 2011 the organization has started a recruitment process to find his successor.

Two Scottish fishermen have admitted making false declarations about fish more than £7 million which they landed.
Victor Buschini, 50, and Hamish Slater, 51, masters of the Fraserburgh trawler Enterprise, made the ‘Black Fish’ landings on Shetland.

After another week of gales there were small landings of white fish at Peterhead fishing market Scotland’s premier fishing port.