SFF Comments on EC Fisheries Council

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, in advance of the EC Fisheries Council to decide on catching opportunity for 2012, is warning that every effort must be focused on ensuring that the fishing fleet is not hit by further cuts in the number of days that v

According to the SFF, further cuts would be devastating economically and also have a series of knock-on effects that would at a stroke destroy years of hard work by fishermen to conserve stocks.

This year’s December Council is different, explains the SFF: "Normally the tonnage of fish in the Total Allowable Catch and quota regulations is the primary concern of the Scottish industry.

"However, this time around Scots fishermen are facing a series of extreme threats associated with other aspects of the regulations, most specifically effort control and the number of days that whitefish and prawn vessels can put to sea.

"For the pelagic sector, the failure of Iceland and Faroes to act reasonably and achieve a deal on mackerel is causing real concern, which also has a knock-on impact on a small but significant section of the Scottish whitefish industry that has been unable to make use of its entitlement to fish in Faroese waters."

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, comments: "The forthcoming December Fisheries Council will have a different complexion compared with previous years due to the main focus being on effort control and other matters rather than quota cuts."

Read the full SFF press release.

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