Scottish Government Fisheries Minister, Richard Lochhead refused to accept the deal on the table this week in the negotiations on EU fish quotas. As it stood, this threatened the devastation of Scotland’s west coast fishing fleets, with up to 2,000 jobs at risk. Evidence and determination won the day, although no victory is ever absolute.

The news affecting the greatest number of boats is that west coast nephrops industry can carry on fishing for prawns provided they use more selective nets to reduce the capture of white fish. They are also being asked to deploy other conservation measures. This industry is worth £45 million to fishing communities on the west coast.

The other measure is that, as anticipated, a 30% rise in the quota of North Sea cod – with a similar increase for mackerel – has been agreed. This has not been welcomed by Greenpeace, whose Oceans Campaigner, Willie Mackenzie says: ‘Today’s announcement is disastrous for the fishing industry. The cod quota could lead to fishermen fishing themselves out of a job, because these catch levels could see an end to North Sea cod’.

While dismissing the ‘bungling bureaucrats’ and their tendency to ignore scientific advice, Mr Mackenzie welcomed moves towards more selective nets and closing areas to reduce discards.

Mr Lochhead noted that while the UK teams’s tough negotiating stance had overturned the Commission’s intentions, ‘a number of fishermen face a huge challenge in delivering the agreed conservation measures and we will work hard to help them stay viable’.

Bertie Armstrong, CEO of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) was glad and relived that the EU had accepted the alternative proposals put forward. He sees these as saving the continuation of fishing on the west coast.

He feels that the regulations accompanying the deal must be practical for fishermen to operate and in an objective evaluation of the post-deal situation says: ‘In the North Sea, there are possible rewards in this as it gives the potential for fishermen to catch less and land more. However, the changes will present a real challenge, where additional closures and the expensive requirement to rapidly develop more selective gear will prove difficult’.

A Mallaig prawn fisherman, interviewed on BBC television news made a constructive suggestion. Expressing uncertainty about how effective will be the nets prawn fishermen must now use to allow whitefish to escape, he asked ‘Why don’t they talk to us in plenty of time and let us try these things out to see how they work, instread of foisting things on us at this stage?’

Argyll’s MSP and Mr Lochhead’s fellow Minister, Jim Mather, has immediately welcomed the successful outcome of the negotiations. He says: ‘We must pay tribute to Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead, MSP, and his team for participating successfully in long and hard negotiations that have won a reprieve for our vital prawn fisheries.

‘This has not been won without cost and the team has had to argue for more sophisticated measures to protect fragile white fish stocks which will put pressure on that fishery.

‘A blanket ban was never the answer and our government representatives have led the way on sensible and reasonable measures to support the important fishing industry. In recent weeks we have seen major mackerel and cod quota increases as well as an end to the wasteful and ineffective practice of discards.

‘The entire industry has been holding its breath on the outcome of this and I am immensely relieved that our negotiating team stood their ground and refused to accept the potentially disastrous proposals that originally came from the Brussels bureaucracy ‘.

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