Anger Over New Cod Move – Fishupdate.com

Anger Over New Cod Move Fishing Monthly Published:  08 April, 2003

FISHERMEN’S leaders voiced anger today over a decision to incorporate 1350sq miles of valuable North Sea fishing grounds into the cod recovery regime and the 15-days-a-month fishing limit it imposes .

Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association secretary George MacRae said that apparently, a UK representative to the EU had raised no objection last Friday to the plan to move a line eastwards and incorporate a previously unrestricted area into the recovery plan.

“There has been no consultation on the issue and this smacks of a level of incompetence on the part of UK civil servants which is incredible.”

Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief executive Hamish Morrison said that basically, the addition to the restrictions represented a very good fishing area, while a large chunk off the Norwegian coast taken out of the restrictions had no real value for fishermen.

“Apparently a qualified majority of representatives agreed to this on Friday and I am astounded by the insensitivity of this.

“Here we are being told the Commission are going to try to adjust arrangements to make them more amenable, but instead, they have sneaked in an extension to the restrictions into an area which poses particular difficulties for Scottish fishermen, given this is an area where they have a useful saithe fishery.”