For Argyll has had several queries from conservationists and the fishing community on whether the ban on tangle netting is still in place after an unexpected decision at the Fisheries Council in Brussels at the weekend.

At the meeting, the west coast emergency measures – which were introduced earlier this year and were said to be short term only, were – against the UK / Scottish vote – extended for a further 18 months.

We consulted with the Fisheries Ministry to clarify this situation and the answer is ‘Yes’. The ban on tangle netting remains in place with the rest of the extended west coast emergency measures.

While this news will be unwelcome to fishing folk, conservationists will be relieved. Tangle netting is notoriously damaging for trapping species like porpoises as by-catch.

There is an issue here. The Scottosh Government had not wanted tangle netting to be included in the extended measures and intends to go back to the Fisheries Council to try to get that inclusion reversed.

This would be a premature action without informed discussion on the environmental consequences. We will shortly be publishing an artivle on this matter.

The Scottish Government and the Fisheries Minister, Richard Lochhead, remain angry as what they see as a breach of faith by the European Commission on the strategies employed at this meeting.

Scotland’s fishing industry has worked hard and proactively to contribute to crucial conservation and fishermen and Government alike feel tricked by the management of these recent decisions.

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• ‘There’s a porpoise close behind me…’ (1)
• West coast prawn boats exempt from Days at Sea restriction (1)

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