Statement from SFF on outcome of international fisheries negotiations

Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said the outcome of the talks on quotas will make for a difficult 2026 for the fleet, but could have been significantly worse.

 

“With ICES having recommended a zero total allowable catch (TAC) for Northern shelf cod, the Scottish whitefish fleet had been contemplating having to tie up for much of the year.

 

“That’s because cod is such a major component of the mixed fishery that these boats work at every year. We said when ICES published their advice in the autumn that there are problems with the how their scientific advice is formulated, and there is work underway seeking to address that. Meantime however, we are relieved that negotiators have found a way forward in setting a TAC and agreeing a series of measures to protect the stock. 

 

"Thanks to the work done by the Scottish and UK government negotiators, the outcome on cod, while a significant reduction from this year’s TAC that will inevitably have an impact on the sector, is less damaging than anticipated, with a balance struck between the need to allow the stock to recover, particularly in the southern North Sea,  and the sustainability of the fleet.”

 

Ms Macdonald added that she was glad the long-running negotiations on the single TAC on North Sea herring had finally been resolved, with the UK’s share protected.