widget/exchange-29
widget/exchange-30widget/exchange-33
widget/exchange-31

News / Discard ban delayed

Tory MEP and fisheries spokesman Ian Duncan has taken credit for delaying a cod discard ban by 12 months.

AS THE fishing industry shoals up in Brussels for the annual quota talks, upbeat news on catching limits remains tarnished by anger over mackerel allowances and concerns about the discard ban.

Fishing leaders are high about cod and haddock quotas being set to rise significantly.

They are also relieved a plan to introduce a discard ban on cod in three weeks has been delayed by 12 months.

However stalled negotiations over Faroe’s right to catch a large percentage of its mackerel quota in EU, especially Scottish and Shetland waters, has aggravated local fishermen.

Shetland Fishermen’s Association executive officer Simon Collins said the current agreement is “hopelessly skewed” in favour of Shetland’s Scandinavian neighbours.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/0

Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association chief executive Ian Gatt said he was “bitterly disappointed” the deal could not be revisited.

Scottish fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead said the current deal was set in stone for the next five years.

Meanwhile Conservative fisheries spokesman in Brussels Ian Duncan took credit for reversing a decision earlier in the week to introduce the discard ban for cod on 1 January.

Despite attending the Paris climate talks, Duncan said he applied pressure on his fellow Fisheries Committee members to vote through the change.

He said it was incredible that the SNP had joined UKIP in voting for the early introduction of the ban.

“I welcome the intervention of my colleague Peter van Dalen MEP who was instrumental in ensuring the U-turn by the Fisheries Committee,” Duncan said.

“As a result of us applying pressure on the committee, the discard ban will again be phased in as was originally planned, applying to cod from 1 January 2017.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

“Those who sit on the Fisheries Committee must pay greater heed to the implications of their actions.

“Had my colleagues not been able to reverse this decision, it would have been a bleak Christmas for many. Lessons must be learned from this debacle.”

Shetland Fishermen’s Association’s new policy adviser Maria Aira Martin getting used to a closer climate in Lerwick harbour.

Meanwhile, Shetland Fishermen’s Association has added a new policy advisor to its ranks.

Maria Aira Martin, who originally hails from Galicia in Spain, will be tasked with promoting Shetland’s fishing industry in Europe.

The former trainee fisheries official with the European Council of Ministers will also help to project the industry’s voice in parliament in Scotland, the UK and Europe.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/1

“I know from my time working in the fishing industry in Spain just how important it is for the economy,” Martin said.

“But there’s something that goes beyond the facts and figures. I feel it is also part of the identity of the community and that has been confirmed in the short time I have been in Shetland.

“The industry here has a responsible approach to sustainability, there are fantastic quality stocks and everybody works well together.

“But it faces significant challenges, like the discard ban, and dealing with that and the different layers Shetland has to deal with – Scotland, the UK and the EU – convinced me to move here to try to do something meaningful.”

SFA executive officer Simon Collins said Martin’s appointment will see Shetland’s fishing industry’s “arguments put across better” in Brussels.

offset-carousel/post-mobile/2

“Having someone who’s got an insight into how things actually works makes all the difference,” he said.

“The industry has traditionally been quite old fashioned and slow to move with the times, and one of the big changes in the last twenty years is the shift in power from national governments to Brussels.”

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Categories
widget/pd_widget-6widget/pd_widget-7widget/exchange-53widget/exchange-54widget/pd_widget-8widget/exchange-55widget/pd_widget-9widget/exchange-56

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.