As per the press release of Scottish fishing industry Europe’s cod recovery plan needs to be revised urgently as the fleet is unable to absorb any further effort reduction. The current management plan says the number of days vessels can fish are being reduced year on year to allow cod stocks to recover. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation said that their members were unable to take any more and now want the Scottish government to intervene in Brussels on their behalf.
An SFF delegation is to meet Scottish fishing minister Richard Lochhead urging the government to commission a socio-economic impact study to be used as “vital evidence” in negotiations with the European Commission. SFF chief executive Bertie Armstrong said it is reality that Scottish whitefish fleet can’t take any more and there needs to be an urgent rethink of the rules. He said that they are now seeing a recovery in the cod stock and it is essential that the long-term plan for cod is revised so as to ensure that fishing vessels don’t go to the wall.
According to Armstrong as a part of negotiation SFF would also be pressing for a review of the current catch composition rules and other “ill-fitting or inappropriate regulation that is currently bedevilling the industry”.
