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Rationale for Action
In many ways, sea fishing is about risks and probabilities, not certainties. The basic resource, the fish stocks, are part of a complex ecosystem and are prone to natural variations that are not easily measured. They fluctuate naturally with bumper and lean years and can exist in mixed fisheries, where abundant and scarce stocks are caught in the same nets, and fish quotas must be negotiated with our partners in the fisheries. Our information about and analysis of the marine environment and markets also changes over time.
These inherent uncertainties in the industry have been exacerbated by the politics of fisheries management and an over-risky approach that prioritises short term opportunity over longer term stability, leading to cycles of "boom and bust". The pelagic sector saw the collapse of the herring stock in the 1970s and the whitefish sector is just emerging from a painful restructuring brought about by the end of the "gadoid (whitefish) outburst". Economic pressure and inefficient controls have led in the past to poor compliance with fisheries management rules and undermined stocks and profitability further. In the context of these uncertainties, it has been very difficult for the industry to plan ahead or consistently to adopt best business practice.
This action plan is about tackling each of these issues, in turn and together. It is about sustainable development in action. Sea fish are a renewable resource and fish is a healthy, natural food for which there is growing consumer demand. There is therefore an historic opportunity to position Scottish seafood as a high quality product on a global basis. If we manage the stocks effectively, they can continue to provide a harvest for the industry, fulfil their role in our marine ecosystems, and provide healthy food for our tables.
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