27 February 2013

With the pelagic (mackerel and herring) fishery being the first sector of the fishing fleet to be affected by the new discards ban, Scottish pelagic fishermen say it is essential that its implementation is managed across a level playing field.

Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association said: “The discards ban will begin for the Scottish pelagic fleet in 2014. This is a challenging timescale, but the pelagic industry is gearing itself up to manage its fishing operations in accordance with the new regulations.

22 February 2013

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) is underlining its support for the concept of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) but says their designation must be made in a fair and coherent manner that is underpinned by strong scientific evidence. 

18 February 2013

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) has welcomed the announcement by the UK Government that a new agreement with the oil industry has been reached to provide emergency towing capability in response to incidents in waters around Scotland.

An operational and commercial model has been agreed allowing HM Coastguard to call on the BP-chartered vessel, Grampian Frontier, to provide support in the event of a pollution incident.

13 February 2013

The Scottish fishing industry is developing new and innovative designs of prawn trawls that significantly reduce discards of whitefish such as cod. The designs represent a new approach to fisheries management where fishermen fed up with unworkable European regulations have taken matters into their own hands to deliver effective conservation.