This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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EU Fisheries Council agree deal
21/12/2006
The EU Fisheries Council has today reached agreement at its annual meeting in Brussels on fishing opportunities in the year ahead.
Fisheries Minister Ross Finnie said he had secured the best possible deal for the Scottish fleet during the talks with fishermen benefiting from increases in a number of key stocks, such as Rockall haddock, monkfish and west coast prawns.
The final deal also includes reductions in the number of days at sea for some but the Minister said those affected by these cuts will have a number of options to recover lost days, by signing up to either better conservation methods or tighter enforcement.
Mr Finnie continued:
"As always the settlement needs to be read as a whole and I am satisfied that in these difficult negotiating circumstances we have secured the best possible deal for Scottish fisheries.
"In the course of the negotiations we have greatly improved our position in a number of key stocks such as Rockall haddock, prawns, monkfish and herring.
"We have always recognised however that as long as cod is in difficulty we face difficult negotiations. We have consistently argued that the Commission's decisions should be fair and equitable.
"The cuts for our whitefish fleet will be less severe than for those who use small nets. This was secured in the face of strong pressure to do the reverse.
"We will continue to work closely with our industry, processors and environmentalists to secure a sustainable, profitable and well managed and viable fishing sector to support the many Scottish communities which rely on this important way of life."
The main outcomes from the Fisheries Council are:
- West of Scotland prawn quotas increased by 10 per cent (Commission proposal: cut of 15 per cent)
- North Sea prawn quotas reduced by 7 per cent (Commission proposal: cut of 22 per cent)
- The quota for haddock at Rockall increased to 4615 tonnes (Commission proposal: 687 tonnes)
- The quota for West of Scotland Herring rolled over (Commission proposal: cut of 15 per cent)
- Monkfish quotas increased by 10 per cent (Commission proposal: rollover)
- Days at sea reduced by 7 per cent for haddock, cod and whiting fishermen and for prawn fishermen by 8 per cent for larger nets and by 10 per cent for smaller nets (Commission proposal: 25 per cent for all)
- Prawn fishermen who use nets which avoid catching young cod will be allowed to spend 11 more days at sea in 2007 than in 2006
- Whitefish vessels willing to accept automatic licence suspension for breaches of the regulations will not have any cuts in days