During the visit of European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki in Scotland the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation will tell that the Scottish industry has made huge strides in ensuring the sustainable harvesting of fish and that its efforts must be recognised during the decision-making process for fishing opportunity in 2011.
There will be a round table conference between SFF and Commissioner Damanaki in Aberdeen as part of the North Sea Conference that is being hosted by the Scottish Government. The meeting will also include Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead and UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon.
Bertie Armstrong, SFF chief executive comments that they want to make point to the Commissioner is that Scottish fleet has made huge effort in ensuring sustainable harvesting. The EC must recognise and reward the considerable sacrifice made by our fishermen by easing the current punishing fishing restrictions.
Armstrong said that for fishermen to have faith in fisheries management they must be rewarded for their efforts. At the moment the fishing industry is enduring increasing restrictions year-after-year despite there being signs of fish stock recovery. The industry can only take so much and the point has now been reached for these restrictions to be eased.
According to SFF meeting with UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon will discuss the agenda at the talks over the next two days will be the current dispute with Iceland and the Faroes over international mackerel quotas. At a presentation to the European Parliament Fisheries Committee in Strasbourg yesterday, Ian Gatt of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association said that fishermen’s livelihoods are in jeopardy because of the ‘irresponsible actions’ taken by Iceland and the Faroes.
