Skippers’ damage may not be finished

THE significance of the successful prosecution of six Shetland fishing boat skippers for illegally landing £15million of fish cannot be underestimated. It is, first and foremost, a satisfying end to a classic example of teamwork involving the Northern Constabulary and Grampian police forces, the Crown Office and procurator fiscal service, and Marine Scotland in a lengthy and highly-complex investigation. Unfortunately, the actions of the six skippers are likely to have far-reaching repercussions for the rest of Scotland’s pelagic fleet as it seeks to prevent Faroese and Icelandic boats from plundering mackerel stocks after their decisions to award themselves huge increases in their annual catch quotas.

At the same time as the six skippers were admitting their guilt to a High Court judge in Glasgow, Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead was attempting to negotiate a compromise with the Faroe Islands and Iceland, after two weeks of squabbling which culminated in a blockade of Peterhead harbour. His task in seeking a diplomatic solution has been made infinitely more difficult by the actions of the Shetland Six, for they have given the Icelandic and Faroese the ammunition to discredit pleas for fair play. Rarely have the actions of so few jeopardised the future wellbeing of so many.