This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Net closes on illegal fishing
07/08/2006
Scotland's fisheries enforcement authorities will strengthen links with their international partners to put an end to illegal fishing wherever it occurs.
That was the message Fisheries Minister Ross Finnie delivered to a major international summit on tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing around the world.
Representing Scotland at the summit in Trondheim, Norway Mr Finnie said:
"We are determined to stamp out illegal fishing wherever it occurs.
"It is bad for conservation, bad for the many honest fishermen whose livelihoods it puts at risk and bad for Scotland's growing reputation in Europe for effective fisheries enforcement.
"We must maintain that reputation otherwise our position in fisheries negotiations can be significantly undermined.
"It is not specific to Scotland. All fishing nations share the problem so it is only right that we must share our efforts to tackle it.
"To achieve this we must make illegal fishing riskier by increasing the likelihood of getting caught.
"We already have rigorous controls in Scotland but by sharing our resources, experiences and information here today, we can help achieve our shared objectives of detection and deterrence."
The summit comes days after a Norwegian fisherman was charged with fisheries offences in the north of Scotland.
Mr Finnie confirmed:
"The Master of a Norwegian trawler, the H Ostervold, has been charged with under-recording the quantity of herring held on board when discharging his catch.
"The vessel was released on payment of a 20,000 pounds bond pending a further court appearance set for August 30th."
Recent figures show that since January 2005, 70 cases have been brought by the SFPA. 15 (21 per cent) involved foreign vessels (four Norwegian, four Irish, two Danes, two Spanish, two French and one German.)