East versus West as commercial leaders get it wrong

The Scottish fishing fleet is facing a days-at-sea crisis as white-fish vessels have used their catching-time allocations for this year far more quickly than expected and some feel they may have to tie-up for up to five weeks in the summer.

Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) chief executive Bertie Armstrong admitted the industry had “simply got it wrong” over days-at-sea allocations saying – “This is a really difficult and serious problem and will require careful thought by industry and government as to what the best way forward is” and that “It is work in progress, but we are facing stark choices.”

However, the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association (SWFPA) executive chairman Mike Park insisted a shutdown would not happen saying “skippers were willing to increase cod conservation measures to head off the move and claw back extra days they would gain as reward and that we should be OK”.

Fears that a shutdown will drive north-east white-fish boats to the west coast to go after prawns instead has caused concern for the west coast operators who have warned that their fishing grounds couldn’t stand the pressure.

Angus Macleod, skipper of a Gairloch-based prawn trawler, said: “We manage to operate a boat in the days we are given, so why can’t they on the east coast? They want to work 365 days a year.

“My concern is that, if there is a five-week ban on fishing in the North Sea, they will all come over to the west coast.”

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Category: Commercial