The European Commission today called for a halt to cod fishing for the whole of next year in the Irish sea and off the West of Scotland in a bid to boost conservation.
The crackdown is part of proposed EU catch allowances unveiled today which signal the start of intense haggling over quotas for fishing fleets in the run-up to a final deal in December.
The Commission insists that, as usual, its annual quota recommendations are based on scientific advice on the state of key stocks and is calling on EU ministers to abandon the usual bidding war to boost national quotas.
Today’s proposals include increased quotas in 2012 for nine stocks, including haddock, hake, herring, sole as well as cod in some areas, and reduced quotas for 53 stocks.
The package, including the planned freeze on West of Scotland and Irish cod, amounts to an overall quota cut for all fish of 11 per cent compared with this year - the right level, said the Commission, to help stocks recover and ensure sustainable long-term fishing in Europe.
It includes a 25 per cent increase in the West Coast haddock quota thanks to stock recovery, but Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead attacked the rise as “meagre”.
He insisted the figure was far lower than the scientific advice would allow.
Scientific advice should be followed to safeguard valuable stocks, he said, and the first signs of haddock revival off the West of Scotland was welcome.
But he went on: “Seeing the haddock stock recover to sustainable levels should be a cause for celebration, yet the proposals announced today will only punish the fishermen who have worked so hard on conservation.
“Despite scientific advice recommending a 410 per cent increase for the West Coast haddock TAC (Total Allowable Catch), the Commission have only proposed a meagre 25 per cent increase.
“Not only does this penalise our fishermen unnecessarily, but it could also lead to an increase in discarded fish - something both we and the Commission have been working hard to reduce.”
He added: “This flies in the face of the aims of both Scotland and the EU. We cannot talk about introducing discard bans whilst current discard-increasing measures remain in place. We will continue to work closely with the Commission to ensure the urgent removal of these measures, but in addition are calling for the Commission to urgently review and increase the proposed haddock quotas in line with the scientific advice.”
PA