SCOTLAND’S beleaguered fishing fleet is facing a total ban on cod catches in the wake of alarming new figures revealing a dramatic slump in stocks.
Scientists who advise the European Commission on quotas will recommend the drastic measure after revealing that cod levels have failed to recover despite the introduction of strict quotas earlier this year. Levels of cod in the North Sea have fallen
from 35,000 tonnes to less than 29,000 tonnes since January, when the quotas were introduced.
A total ban on cod fishing, which had the support of Downing Street and the Department of Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), was narrowly averted this year following the intervention of senior Scottish MPs including Chancellor Gordon Brown and transport minister Alastair Darling.
Now, in the wake of the new figures and a renewed call by experts, it seems almost certain the ban will be introduced. The move would be devastating for the Scottish fishing industry, which last week saw a third of its white fish fleet scrapped under a £40m deal to pay skippers to decommission their vessels.
Almost half the boats in Scotland’s white fish fleet have already caught their annual haddock and cod quota entitlements this year, despite being restricted to only 15 days a month at sea.
Henrik Sparholt, the fisheries assessment scientist of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea - the organisation which advises the European Commission on fish stocks - has told Scotland on Sunday that the continued decline in cod stocks means that the scientists will recommend a complete ban on cod fishing in the North Sea.
He said: "We’re going to advise an absolute ban on fishing for cod in the North Sea. The previous restrictions and reductions in quota have just been too little too late. Nothing short of a complete ban will save the fishery."
Sparholt added: "There is no evidence that the cod stocks have been able to recover from many years of over-fishing. So far the evidence shows that they are still in decline."
Scientists believe that as the stocks of the fish continue to dwindle the fish may no longer spawn, leading to the extinction of cod in the North Sea.
According to experts, there must be at least 70,000 tonnes of cod in the North Sea for the species to have any kind of future, and twice that level to allow a healthy fishery to exist.
The Scottish fishing industry last night reacted with fury to the looming ban on cod fishing.
Hamish Morrison, the chief executive of the Scottish Fisherman’s Federation, said: "We seem to be the only ones who are bearing the brunt of this. We have accepted bigger mesh sizes to allow fish to escape. We have accepted decommissioning. We seem to be the only industry in Scotland trying to make itself less efficient. And yet others do not have to accept the cuts like we must."
He added: "We have had years of quotas being cut and yet the stock is continuing to decline. We are not convinced that fishing is the only or even the main reason for the stock being in decline.
"There are climatic changes, and there is industrial fishing of the smaller fish which the cod themselves eat. The cod are still there, they are just moving further north."
The European Commission and governments have normally tried to find a half-way house between scientists’ calls for drastic reductions and the industry’s insistence that it should be allowed to fish to save their livelihoods. However, Commission insiders have told Scotland on Sunday they are increasingly convinced that they can no longer find a compromise between the two camps and must back the scientists in order to save stocks.
One EU insider said: "Basically we cannot have the scientists telling us a ban is needed, and then not heeding them, and then we let stocks go down. As your Mrs Thatcher said: ‘There is no alternative’, there will have to be cuts."
Under a deal thrashed out by fisheries ministers in Brussels last year, Scottish crews saw their quotas slashed. Catches of cod were cut from 49,300 tonnes to 27,300 tonnes, whiting from 41,000 to 16,000, and haddock from 104,000 to 51,000.
Richard Lochhead, the SNP fisheries spokesman, said: "This is going to be yet another example of the Scottish fishing industry being sold out by ministers. Ross Finnie [the Scottish fisheries minister] must decide where his priorities lie. So far this Executive has shown little sign of being prepared to stand up for Scottish fishing crews."
Ted Brocklebank, the Scottish Tory fishing spokesman, warned that a clamp-down would lead to increased illegal, or ‘black’ landings.
He said: "Many fishermen would argue that the scientists don’t know what the figures are, because many catches are not being reported. I’m not condoning what people do in not reporting catches. The fact remains that crews have been driven to such limits."
A Scottish Executive source admitted that ministers were bracing themselves for another bruising round of talks and that quotas were unlikely to rise in the coming year.
He said: "I don’t think we expected to be able to resume fishing large quotas straight away, but it is true that the indicators seem to be pointing to a squeeze on quotas for next year.
"Basically we do not want to allow the industry to die, but we cannot ignore the science. There will be a number of lean years ahead, but we are aiming in the long term for a sustainable fishery."
The full article contains 984 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
