MEPs' drive to overhaul fishing rules is backed by Scots trade

Published on Tuesday 26 May 2009 22:02

SCOTTISH fishermen's leaders yesterday welcomed a commitment by European ministers to drive through radical reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy.

The changes are expected to lead to a greater devolution in fisheries control, the scrapping of the annual quota negotiations and an end to discards – the practice of dumping over-quota fish back dead into the sea.

A new fishing policy for Europe is expected to be in place by 2012. The European Commission is inviting "each and every citizen" to submit their views on the massive reforms.

Bertie Armstrong, the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said a reform of the policy, first established in 1983, was long overdue.

He said: "The current system is not working and there seems to be agreement at the Fisheries Council that it is ready to let go and decentralise fisheries policy. The policy of relying on the main management tools of restricted catching and restricted time at sea is not working.

"There needs to be a more intelligent way of managing fisheries, and this includes the decentralisation of policy where regional management can produce regional solutions."

Richard Lochhead, Scotland's rural affairs secretary, welcomed the acknowledgement that the Common Fisheries Policy had failed and a new approach was now required.

But he warned that the Scottish Government faced a tough challenge to negotiate the changes needed to protect the country's historic fishing rights and a return of decision-making to Scotland.

The European Commission revealed last month that more than 80 per cent of Europe's fish stocks are now overfished, compared with a global average of 28 per cent.