Cuts could take haddock off the menu

SCOTTISH fishermen could be facing a cut of up 15 per cent in their mainstay catch of haddock next year, it was revealed yesterday.

And influential marine scientists on the advisory committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) are also calling for substantial cuts in North Sea herring and mackerel catches.

But, in a major boost for the Scottish fishing industry, the experts are also recommending that cod stocks in the North Sea can be fished sustainably for the first time in six years.

ICES, which has recommended a zero catch of cod since 2001, is now recommending a 50 per cent cut on this year's quotas to be set as a landings limit in 2008. The final total allowable catch (TAC) figures for next year will not be finally set until the December meeting of European fisheries ministers.

But Bertie Armstrong, the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said yesterday that, as a starting point for the negotiations, the advice from ICES could result in a reasonable return for fishermen in 2008.

He said: "The portion of the advice which stands out most clearly is that for North Sea cod. After six years of advising zero catch the position now is that cod can be rebuilt quickly.

"This is excellent news, reflecting scientific proof of what the fishermen had been reporting for some time - that cod was recovering in the North Sea. If this year class (juvenile cod) is allowed to pass into the adult stock then it will rebuild very quickly."

He continued: "Advice for other stocks of importance to the Scottish industry reflects what should be expected of a dynamic, interdependent ecosystem - some species are doing well, others less so.

"The haddock stock is completely sustainable but this year the indications are that there should be 15 per cent reduction in the TAC. Mackerel is also subject to a management plan and the indications are that a downturn in the catch will be recommended - somewhere in the order of 9 per cent.

"The herring stock is also a good size, but for reasons genuinely unexplained, which do not include overfishing, there has been a downturn in recruitment for five years in a row now and for that reason a reduction in fishing in the order of 30 to 35 per cent is being recommended."

In the report ICES scientists state that the number of young cod in the North Sea has shown a slight rise for the second year in a row.

The report states: "Despite the fact that recovery measures have been in place since 2002, the potential for rebuilding the stock in recent years has been poor . The 2005 year class (juvenile cod) is somewhat larger and provides a rebuilding opportunity. A year class of this magnitude was last observed six years ago."

A spokesman for RSPB Scotland said the ICES advice painted a "stark picture" of several key EU fish stocks.

And Mark Ruskell, the organisation's marine officer, declared: "It's important that the sacrifices industry have made in the past are not blown by demands to increase the numbers of cod removed from the sea, regardless of whether they are landed or discarded.

"Measures to avoid catching young cod by industry are welcome, but they are still largely experimental pilots that need to be adopted across the board.

"The cod born in 2005 must be protected at all costs if we are to see long term recovery and an end to the economic roller coaster ride the fishing industry has been on for years."

EU TARGETS FOREIGN FISHING PIRATES

THE European Commission has unveiled plans for a major crackdown on illegal fishing by "pirate" trawlers operating in European waters and the seas around the globe.

Illegal catches by vessels involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are estimated to have a worldwide turnover of £7 billion a year, with imports into Europe conservatively estimated at 500,000 tonnes and valued at more than £700 million.

But Joe Borg, the European Fisheries Commissioner, is calling for a zero-tolerance policy by European member states to the high-seas lawbreakers by bringing in measures which would allow access to the EU market only to fisheries products that have been certified as legal by the countries where vessels are registered, or the exporting state concerned.

A European blacklist of IUU vessels and of states which turn a blind eye to IUU activities would be set up and deterrent sanctions introduced against IUU activities in EU waters. Mr Borg declared: "There must be zero tolerance for pirate fishing which rewards only those who steal fish resources."

SCOTSMAN'S MANIFESTO TO PROTECT THE SEAS

THE Scotsman has launched a campaign for urgent steps to be taken to protect our precious marine life.

We want:

• a network of marine reserves and protected areas to be created to safeguard marine sites.

• a system of marine planning, effectively zoning areas for appropriate use, to safeguard important fishing grounds from other developments.

• a single marine management organisation for Scottish waters to ensure this system operates efficiently.

• Scotland to be given control of the 200-mile conservation boundary with international waters. Currently the Scottish Government controls out to 12 miles