The authority has announced a ‘seasonal closure’ at the Long Hole in the Fladen grounds, located 100 miles north east of Fraserburgh, will come into force at the start of December as part of the Scottish Conservation Credits Scheme. It is said that this closure is automatically implemented for a specified period of time. For instance, to protect aggregations of cod during the spawning season. Coordinates of the closure have been agreed with industry.
It is informed that a Real Time Closure is an area of sea that has been closed to mobile fishing for a fixed period of 21 days where an abundance of cod has been identified. Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead has welcomed this move as a further example of the industry taking proactive steps to secure a better future for Scottish fishing. He added that this year the authority has secured agreement from Brussels to operate our own ground breaking days at sea scheme, the Scottish Conservation Credits Scheme.
It is told that the Scottish Government, the Scottish fishing industry and the Scottish people want to ensure that the coastal communities continue to be vibrant, optimistic and economically viable places where a new generation of fishermen can grow up. Lochead explained that the closure will not be permanent and the closure dates are indicative. The area will be reopened after a sample haul has been undertaken by a commercial vessel observed either by Fisheries Research Services (FRS) or the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA).
