SCOTLAND — February 14, 2013 — An inaccurate and negative portrayal of scallop fishing that will be aired as part of the ‘Hugh’s Fish Fight’ Channel 4 TV series has come under stinging criticism from the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF).
The SFF fears the three-programme series, which begins this week, will offer a totally imbalanced and distorted view of the scallop fishing sector, which supports many jobs and provides consumers with a much valued and sustainable food resource.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation said: “Scallop fishermen depend upon abundant scallop stocks and a healthy marine environment and are committed to the protection of marine biodiversity.
Scallops prefer to live in less sensitive habitats such as sand and gravel, which are naturally dynamic environments due to the movement of water on the seabed from currents, tides and waves and this is where scallop fishermen concentrate their efforts.
“Scallop fishermen avoid areas where there are unusual marine features and fully support the need for protecting ecologically important habitats and species. Scallop fishermen have also pioneered the use of state-of-the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) technology to aid this process.