Tough time for fishermen during festive season as the majority of North Sea quota – the lifeblood of the fleet – has still to be decided. The verdict from the local fishing industry on last week’s negotiations is that the West Coast secured a good deal, but they remain worried over what may happen in January.
Billy Gatt said that Richard Lochhead and other officials have worked hard, got a return and been praised by the Scottish industry, which was good. But there are still problems going forward. He added that the major issue is the cut in days at sea. Putting it in perspective, it is like telling a shop that they can work every day but Saturday, when they will have to close.
In Brussels, quotas were decided on the three highest-value species: North Sea prawns, monkfish and megrim, with an increase or rollovers being secured on these species. It is said that the Fisheries Council also approved ‘catch less, land more’ trials, which Scotland has been promoting as another way of rewarding fishermen for their conservation efforts. In return for catching and discarding less, fishermen will be allowed to land and earn more.
It is told that there will be a 25 percent cut in West Coast haddock, instead of the proposed 54 percent, and a 15 percent cut in the West Coast prawn quota. Due to the breakdown in talks between the EU and Norway in November, to decide how much fishing will be permitted in each other’s waters, interim quotas have been decided for the time being on mackerel, North Sea haddock, cod and herring, and these will be finalised in January.
