A new stock deal for UK waters including the North Sea has been welcomed by fishers as a “vindication” of their expert knowledge of the abundance of cod.
The UK has reached an agreement with the EU and Norway on fish catches which will see a 63% increase in North Sea cod quota.
The deal worth £202 million to the UK fishing industry, a £33 million increase from last year, saw the UK agree catch levels for six stocks in the North Sea including cod, haddock and herring.
Reacting to the announcement Shetland Fishermen’s Association executive officer Simon Collins said: “This is absolute vindication for skippers who have always argued that swingeing cuts to cod quotas in recent years were excessive relative to the abundance of the stock seen on the grounds.
“Deficiencies in stock assessment processes are finally being addressed, and the science is now catching up with reality, proving that fishermen have had the right of it.
“Today’s announcement gives lie to the notion propagated by eNGOs that cod stocks are facing ‘extinction’, or that fish stocks in our seas are in poor shape – when in fact the opposite is true.
“The agreed quota increases also announced today for other species such as haddock, saithe and whiting mean a more viable future for Shetland’s family-owned fishing fleet, on which the well-being of our whole wider community depends.”
The new levels also sees a 30% increase in haddock and a 7.3% reduction in herring.
Help support ‘profitable fishing’
Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said: “I’m pleased we have reached agreements with the EU and Norway, and wider coastal states, to secure important fish stocks worth over £450 million for the UK fishing fleet in 2023.
“The deals will help support a sustainable, profitable fishing industry for years to come while continuing to protect our marine environment and vital fishing grounds.”
Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the SFF, also said the deal was a vindication of the industry’s views and expected more of the same when the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) reviews cod stocks next year.
She said: “In addition to the agreement already reached between the UK and Norway on fishing opportunities for 2023, SFF welcomes the three-way agreement reached this week between the UK, Norway and the EU on total allowable catches (TACs) for the six jointly managed stocks in the North Sea.
“This vindicates industry’s view that the huge cuts suffered by our fleet over the last three years were not justified.
“We look forward to a full review of the North Sea cod assessment through the ICES benchmark process early in 2023, and to a future where fishermen’s knowledge and expertise can play a meaningful role in stock assessments and catch advice.
“This has been a very busy spell for our negotiating teams from Scottish and UK governments, and we are grateful for their sustained efforts to secure good outcomes for the Scottish industry.
“Their work isn’t over yet however, as some negotiations remain ongoing and there are further talks on key pelagic stocks that will continue into next year.”
