Fishermen win major quota boost

SCOTTISH fishermen have won substantial catch quota increases for three of their mainstay stocks – haddock, whiting and plaice – following talks on the division of North Sea landings between the European Union and Norway.

The herring quota has also been doubled to 405,000 tonnes next year in a major boost for the pelagic fleet.

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation said they were pleased with the outcome of the talks.

A spokesman said: “Most of the key objectives were achieved for the Scottish fishing industry following the conclusion of the second round of EU/Norway talks to finalise catching opportunities for shared stocks.

“In particular, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation welcomes Norway’s agreement to continue in 2012 with the ‘catch quota’ scheme, which provides 12 per cent extra cod on top of the agreed quota for those fishermen that participate in the initiative.”

Scottish fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead also welcomed the new agreement.

He said: “Following a week of intense negotiations, we now have a deal in place for 2012 which sees a welcome rise in quotas for a number of key Scottish stocks.”