EU agrees deal on fishing quotas
Posted on December 22nd, 2008BBC News: EU ministers have agreed to a 30% increase in next year’s fishing quota for North Sea cod, but will reduce catches for several other species.
The quotas are a compromise between environmental groups, who say some fish stocks are on the verge of collapse, and fishermen who fear for their jobs.
Quotas have been increased for cod and plaice in the North Sea, for mackerel, and for west of Scotland monkfish.
The UK said the deal reached would save west of Scotland fishing communities.
The cut in the prawn quota for trawlers operating off western Scotland - the lifeblood of some fishing communities - was less than the 15% the European Commission had demanded.
Fishing crews will have to install new nets which allow threatened species such as cod and hake back into the sea.
The new nets are intended to reduce discards - the common practice of crews throwing fish back into the sea, sometimes dead, because the quotas have already been exceeded.
The deal on quotas followed intense negotiations in Brussels which began on Thursday.
Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said: “The future of the west coast fishing communities dominated this week’s negotiations, and there will be huge relief that proposals to close the grounds have been successfully resisted.”
However, he added that “a number of fishermen face a huge challenge in delivering the agreed conservation measures and we will work hard to help them stay viable”.