EU proposal plan is said to ban fishing for cod, haddock and whiting. But the scheme, discussed in Brussels this week, could also force more than 300 prawn boats out of business. According to EU scientists stocks of white fish are so low off the west of Scotland that trawling for these species should be banned altogether. It is told that the fishermen have also called for modifications to the nets of hundreds of tiny prawn boats which could help cod and haddock to escape.
As per the version of the skippers they have claimed the idea is completely impractical and warned that if the plans were implemented they would have no option but to tie up for good. Prawns are now the mainstay of many small fishing villages and the moves could wipe out hundreds of onshore processing jobs too. The west coast fishery is also important for the north east of Scotland fleet.
Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead explained that the EU proposals outrageous and will oppose the shutdown when he heads for Europe’s annual fisheries negotiations on Tuesday. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) warned the west coast proposals were unacceptable and would be challenged. SFF CEO Bertie Armstrong said that they recognise that the west coast cod, haddock and whiting stocks are in a poor state and action is needed to aid their recovery.
He expressed that they are instead calling for a more sensible approach to the management of the fishery by advocating the use of more selective trawls that will enable whitefish to escape from the net whilst still retaining the valuable langoustine catch.
