The failure of an attempt via the European Parliament to put an end to unworkable ‘emergency’ fisheries regulations for the West coast of Scotland highlights the urgent need for greater regional control of our fisheries, says Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.
“The objective of the ‘emergency’ management measures that have been in place since 2009 were stock conservation, but in practice, they are actually the source of discarding,” he says.
The background to the measures can be traced back to 2008 when a European Commission proposal to rewrite the existing technical conservation measures was made. Voluminous and complex, the proposal failed to achieve agreement before the arrival of the new legislative procedure of co-decision with the European Parliament. As a result, emergency management measures were introduced for the West coast, which included the 30% cod/haddock/whiting catch composition rule, as well as closing down the queen scallop and squid fisheries by default. The Commission’s intention is to continue with the current arrangements until CFP reform in 2013.
However, there has recently a glimmer of hope with intense lobbying by the SFF, supported by a number of Scottish, UK and other MEPs, resulting in a bid to try and get an amendment to the rules pushed through at a recent European Parliament Plenary session on the 4-8 April. The amendment did succeed in being tabled but disappointingly, fell at the last hurdle.
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