31
Oct
We did take too much - but no apologies
The leaders of two of Scotland’s main commercial fishing groups - Bertie Armstrong and Mike Park have now publicly admitted the historic illegal practices of the industry which decimated cod stocks.
No apologies were offered though.
35 years ago there was a significant increase in cod stocks - the so called "gadoid outburst"; Mr Armstrong pointed out "… that the way of making more money was volume: the more fish you caught, the more you got…" and "…. how you upped your income was just to catch more black. The accusations of over-fishing then was a fair one."
Mike Park, himself a veteran North Sea skipper and chairman , recognized "… there was a situation where we took what we could, rather than take what we should .." and that even into the new millennium fishermen were making money illegally.
The leaders say they believe there is no room for short-term profiteering - yet whitefish stocks in the Clyde are being sacrificed on the high altar of nephrops.
Will those responsible ever publicly recognize the error of their ways ?
Will they apologize ?
Powered by FireStats