Ball in Commission's court over monkfish – Fishupdate.com

Ball in Commission’s court over monkfish Published:  13 June, 2006

FISHERMEN and the Scottish Executive are still in the dark over the European Comission’s response to a call to up the Northern Shelf monkfish total allowable catch this year.

An EU committee,the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee on Fisheries (STECF) has told the Commission that the increase can go ahead, but so far there has been silence from Commission headquarters on the issue.

Confirming that there had been no new progress, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Execurtive said today:

“STECF has presented its advice to the Commission on the case for an in-year increase in the northern shelf monkfish TAC – they say a 10% increase this year could be supported and recommend the situation is kept under review.

“The Scottish Executive contacted the Commission at the start of May and asked for an in-year increase in the monkfish TAC in line with the recommendations of STECF and as agreed at December Council in 2005.

“We are currently awaiting the Commission’s decision.”

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.