Fishermen fear greater quota cuts

SCOTTISH fish processors have already been caught in a “perfect storm” of high market prices and dwindling supplies.

Plans by Maria Damanaki, the European fisheries commissioner, to impose even deeper cuts on the days skippers will be allowed to fish next year are threatening to drive the entire Scottish industry into bankruptcy, processing leaders warned yesterday.

Will Clark, the chairman of Peterhead and Fraserburgh Fish Processors Association and chairman of the newly formed Scottish Seafood Association, claimed that the European Commission’s attempts to “micro manage” the industry in Scotland was threatening to set back conservation gains made by the industry.

He said: “EU commissioner Damanaki now proposes the limitation of days fishing boats can go to sea which not only will have an economic impact for all sectors, but insufficient days for the fleet to catch all the allocated quota for 2012.

“Norway are looking forward to increased fishing quota next year while we are being subjected to cuts. It is totally wrong. We as an industry should be looking forward to job creation and expansion next year being rewarded for the great improvement in fish stocks by our improved management – not the opposite. If the regular supply of fish is constrained any more the viability of processing in Scotland is unsustainable.”