Poor science threatens key fish quotas

TOUGH quota cuts could hit some of the Shetland fishing fleet’s most important species due to a lack of science, according to the islands’ fishermen.

Shetland Fishermen’s Association chairman Leslie Tait has warned that the level of discards will increase as a result.

He said that only four out of the main 10 white fish species caught by local trawlers were scientifically assessed for annual quotas.

Other species like monkfish, the most valuable for the islands’ fleet, face an annual 25 per cent cut due to the “precautionary principle” the European Commission is proposing for stocks where there is insufficient information.

Now Shetland MSP Tavish Scott is raising the matter in the Scottish Parliament, calling on the government to make sure that all the main species are covered by science.

Mr Tait said that the only species covered by scientific data were cod, haddock, saithe and plaice. “Those four only account for 45 per cent of the value of the Shetland white fish catch,” he said.

“For the other 55 per cent there is no science to give a full assessment, and they are suggesting where there is no full assessment there will be a year on year cut of 25 per cent.

“This will lead to more discards at the same time as the commission is calling out for a discard ban.”

As well as monkfish, species on which there is not enough data to make a full assessment for setting realistic quotas include megrim, ling, whiting, pollock, skate and lemon sole. Some of these species are actually increasing in number, Mr Tait said.

Mr Scott is now tabling parliamentary questions asking what changes the Scottish government are making to their science plans to incorporate these species.

He said: “That is an investment that is in everyone’s interests as both the industry and government need a full and accurate understanding of the state of fish stocks.

“If nothing is done, then the European Commission will simply cut quotas by a quarter for our local fleet citing as evidence, the lack of evidence. So it makes sense for government to alter its science plans to cover these main species.”

However Mr Tait suggested the problem lay with the management system as a whole and other member states failing to produce scientific data, rather than the Scottish government.

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