Marine / Isles economy could take £16m hit from cod quota slash, fishing official says
SHETLAND’S economy could lose more than £16 million next year as a result of cuts to cod quotas, according to a local fishing official.
Daniel Lawson made the claim after it was revealed that cod quotas would be cut almost in half – by 44 per cent – with saithe quotas also to fall by a quarter.
However that was an improvement on the original advice from the International Council for the Exploration of Seas (ICES), which had originally called for a zero catch of North Sea cod.
Lawson, who is executive officer of Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA), said negotiators had worked hard to spare fishing fleets “from the worst-case economic shocks”.
But he added there was “no doubt” that 2026 was set to be a “hard year for fish crews across all fleet sectors”.
“Our internal analysis – shared with governments in advance of negotiations – estimates that the 44 per cent cod cut alone will mean losses of £16m+ for Shetland’s local economy next year,” Lawson said.
“Numbers in government spreadsheets have real life consequences. For a population of only 23,000 folk, that economic impact will be felt strongest in communities such as Shetland – with family-owned vessels and shareholder crews.”
He added that “irresponsible assumptions and unsupported guesswork”, which he claimed was the basis for the cod quota cut, revealed the “desperate need for investment in evidence-led fisheries science”.
SFA chairman James Anderson said the industry would “once again be forced to step up and show its resilience.”
“While Shetland fish stocks will bounce back, as they always have, we must all take care to ensure that a locally owned fishing fleet is still here to help Shetlanders benefit from that rich resource,” he said.
“The alternative – extractive, external fleets profiting from our fish stocks while Shetlanders watch from the shore – would be a basic injustice and an unforgivable travesty.”
Local fishermen said in September that they were “faced with the potential ruination of their livelihoods” as a result of the zero catch recommendation from ICES.
Shetland Islands Council joined the industry in registering its concern about the advice.
Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief Elspeth Macdonald said the whitefish fleet could have had to tie up for the entire year because of the recommendation.
“Thanks to the work done by the Scottish and UK government negotiators, the outcome on cod, while a significant reduction from this year’s total allowable catch that will inevitably have an impact on the sector, is less damaging than anticipated, with a balance struck between the need to allow the stock to recover, particularly in the southern North Sea, and the sustainability of the fleet.”
Scottish Whitefish Producers Association chief Mike Park added that it would be a “very challenging” year for the sector.
“But as a responsible industry we have to recognise the role we play in stock recovery. After all, fishermen are custodians of the seas,” he said.
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