Commenting on calls by WWF Scotland for Scottish ministers and fishermen to keep up their efforts to protect fish stocks, Fisheries and Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said:
“It is extremely encouraging to see Scotland once again being praised for its efforts in introducing effective ways of conserving vulnerable stocks. Over half of our key stocks by value are either fully certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, or are in the certification process. Four out of five of our key commercial stocks by value are being fished sustainably, and we are making great progress with the fifth.
“Over 100 Scottish vessels are members of the Responsible Fishing Scheme and our commitment to conservation is unrivalled across Europe. We also recently unveiled plans to install CCTV on a number of Scottish vessels to help radically reduce fish discards and remain determined to work alongside the industry to develop solutions that benefit everyone – fishermen, the environment, and consumers.
“It’s clear that we are entering a critical period for fishing in Scotland. The Green Paper on the failed Common Fisheries Policy heralds a new debate on the future of fishing across Europe. The scandal of discards is one example of the CFP’s damaging results and underlines why we want to see decision making returned to Scotland.”
