Land: UK

Approaching the turn of last year the Irish Sea faced an appalling prospect. The Commission had proposed a 19% reduction in the TAC for prawns – the economic mainstay of the Irish Sea; it had also proposed that the Area VII nephrops TAC should be divided into functional unit mini-TACs, constraining a vital flexibility for the fleets; also the EU cod management plan agreed in November 2008, prescribed a 25% cut in days at sea to be implemented in 2011.

The future of the coastguard service in Scotland will be the subject of a Member’s Business Debate in the Scottish Parliament today.

Speaking ahead of the debate Mr Lochhead said:

“The Scottish Government is extremely concerned by the UK Government’s coastguard modernisation plans, which would result in the closure of three of Scotland’s five Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs).

An objection to the Faroes bid to have its mackerel fishery certified as sustainable has been upheld by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
Fishing leaders in Scotland said the move sent a very strong message to the Faroese.

European Fisheries Fund (EFF) has encouraged the use of safety equipment by the fishermen through allocating funds to them.

Loch Torrindon langoustine has to wait for MSC certificate as independent certifier, Moody Marine, has suspended it.

Aquaculture experts at the University of Stirling have made a substantial contribution to the Global Food and Farming Futures report which was commissioned by the UK government and launched in London this week by Chief Scientist Sir John Beddington.

In the wake of the certification of its saithe fishery, UK Fisheries, DFFU and Doggerbank GmbH have entered their Arctic cod and haddock fisheries for MSC assessment. The new assessment – will also include a further saithe fishery for UK Fisheries Ltd –from the North East Arctic stocks.

Independent certifier, Moody Marine, has suspended the MSC certificate for Loch Torridon langoustine. Any langoustine – also known as Dublin Bay prawns, Nephrops or scampi – caught in Loch Torridon after 11th January 2011 may not be described as ‘MSC certified.’