Report on Marine Scotland’s Programme of Regional Fishing
Industry Assemblies held in 2014
Background
1. In February 2014 Marine Scotland launched a programme of Regional Fishing
Industry Assemblies as part of the Scottish Government’s continuing policy of
improving engagement with the fishing industry on a local and national level.
2. The aims of the assemblies were two-fold:
i.
to seek views on issues that will have a major influence on the future
prosperity of the Scottish seafood sector, in particular:




the Common Fisheries Policy and implementation of the landing obligation
access to quota for active fishermen
encouraging new entrants into the industry
fishing and the shared marine environment
ii. to report back on the actions being taken to address some of the key points
raised during the previous year’s Quayside Conversations events
3. Seven assemblies were held around the Scottish coast, beginning with Kirkwall
and Lerwick in March, continuing with Benbecula, Glasgow and Peterhead during
April, before finishing with Ullapool and Anstruther in June/July.
4. Over 130 people – mostly local skippers and other interested parties – were able
to attend. As with the Quayside Conversations, the numbers that attended each
assembly were dependent on a variety of factors, including the weather and
whether the fleet was at sea.
5. Each assembly involved a wide-ranging discussion with Marine Scotland officials,
covering issues of national importance as well as those with a more local focus,
that were on people’s minds around the coast.
6. This report provides a snapshot of the topics that were raised at each assembly,
and an update on the Scottish Government’s position on those issues that have
proved to be of common concern to fishermen across Scotland.
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Assemblies’ Recap
7. Orkney (March 14 / Kirkwall & St Ola Community Centre, Kirkwall)
Creel Support Fund /
Hardship Fund
-
Discard Ban
-
Funding
-
Gear Conflict
-
Handline Mackerel
-
Independence
-
Licensing Review
-
New Entrants
-
Quota Consultation
-
Criticisms that Hardship Fund payments had gone to
companies instead of single-handed fishermen, and
that the £20,000 gross fishing income threshold to
apply to the Creel Support Fund was unfair.
Concerns as to how the discard ban will work, with the
worry that it could affect the survivability of the fleet if
it is not implemented correctly.
Criticism of restrictive EU State Aid rules; that no
money is available to modernise an ageing fleet; and
the difficulty of getting credit for new vessels.
Problems with the lack of evidence for prosecutions;
scope for changing legislation; and that gear was
being towed due to poor communication between
fishermen.
Criticism of the limited mackerel quota available to
Orkney, and also the recent international quota
agreement with the Faroe Islands.
How Scotland would negotiate its quota allocation with
EU; concerns that quota could be given up to gain
entry; how Scotland could operate outside the EU.
Concern that combining licence categories could lead
to a reduction in the number of fishing opportunities
available to Orkney fishermen.
Concerns for the future of the industry with a lack of
new entrants; that costs are too high for young
fishermen to buy their own vessel etc, with it being
easier for them to work offshore instead.
Discussion of how the current system has affected
Orkney, such as losing entitlements due to the lack of
a track record, difficulties in leasing quota, and the
need for change.
8. Shetland (March 21 / Shetland Museum, Lerwick)
EU / Faroes
Handline Mackerel
NAFC Marine Centre
Disapproval of mackerel agreement and how it was
negotiated by the EC; concerns that allowing the
- Faroese back into EU markets would lead to reduced
prices; and concern about how monitoring would be
carried out.
Concerns that consultation was politically motivated;
- criticisms that industry input was not sought, and that
proposals did not consider both sides of the issue.
High opinion of the Centre’s work and the role it plays
- in the scallop fishery etc, but worries for its long term
funding and how this could affect its capabilities.
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New Entrants
Quota Consultation
Highlighting of the local barriers to entry: difficulties
- paying apprentices, older fishermen not retiring, and
the limited scope for inshore fishing in Shetland.
Concern at how changes to allocations could affect
the industry – those who had invested, small boat
owners, new entrants etc; criticism that the
moratorium could halt quota transfers from England.
9. Western Isles (April 4 / Dark Island Hotel, Benbecula)
Aquaculture
-
Cable Installations
-
Creel Limits
-
Discard Ban
-
Licensing Review
-
Lobsters
-
Local Fisheries
-
Marine Protected
Areas
-
New Entrants
-
Scallops
-
Concern that shellfish recruitment is declining in areas
around fish farms due to the chemicals being used,
with a call for new developments to be based onshore.
Criticism that fishermen are not being given enough
notice to move their gear by companies laying fibreoptic cables, who are now carrying out sonar surveys
in areas with high concentrations of static gear.
Whether limits on creel numbers could be introduced
on a local basis, similar to the Northumberland IFCA.
Whether quota could be made available for by-catch
species that are currently discarded, such as spurdog.
Concerns that the consultation’s proposals could
affect fishing communities in the Outer Hebrides, and
lead to an increase in gear conflict.
Discussion on increasing the minimum landing size for
lobster in the Outer Hebrides and possible difficulties,
e.g. if the landing size is different in other areas.
Discussion on studying viability of bluefin tuna and
razor fish stocks for locally-managed fisheries; and a
lack of quota available for skate and monkfish.
Concerns about dredging being prohibited in areas
with stone reefs, as vessels are unlikely to stray from
scallop beds into reefs that would damage their gear.
Whether EMFF funding could be used to provide
assistance for new entrants, similar to a scheme
currently running in the Outer Hebrides.
Highlighting of current issues, e.g. offshore vessels
using excess dredges within inshore waters, and the
need for new legislation and better enforcement.
10. South West (April 11 / Mercure Hotel, Glasgow)
Discard Ban
Hardship Fund
Discussion of the survivability of nephrops and the
limits of potential increases in selectivity; concern for
how low/zero quota species will be handled, in
particular skate and spurdog.
Concerns about how the scheme was administered,
with request for assistance for the scallop sector.
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Independence
-
Licensing Review
-
Marine Protected
Areas
-
Razor Fish
-
Uncertainty about what approach an independent
Scotland would take towards managing quota, how it
would establish its share of quota from the UK, and
the position of quota that has already left the country.
Concerns about the proposals to withdraw latent
scallop entitlements: that they would remove flexibility,
were being driven by scallopers out of desire for profit
rather than conserving stocks, and that vessels would
begin scalloping again to retain their entitlement.
Scepticism of the quality of the scientific advice being
used to propose areas for MPA status, in particular
the South Arran Nature Conservation MPA, where
protected features are still present despite 50-60
years of dredge fishing.
Criticism of the illegality of electrofishing, suggesting
that it was a safe fishing method and less damaging to
the environment than suction dredging.
11. North East (April 25 / Buchan Braes Hotel, Peterhead)
Discard Ban
-
Foreign Vessels
-
Funding
-
Independence
-
Licensing Review
-
New Entrants
-
Quota Consultation
-
Criticism that the industry had not been properly
consulted before the landing obligation was agreed;
fears that it will affect the survivability of the fleet; and
questions on what will happen if the ban does not
work.
Concern that a number of foreign vessels are not
abiding by the same rules as Scottish vessels when
operating in Scottish waters.
Criticism of the percentage of UK EFF funding that
Scotland receives, relative to the size of its sea area
and industry.
Questions on how an independent Scotland’s share of
EU quota would be determined; if EU membership
could be guaranteed for an independent Scotland and
the effect on the industry if an independent Scotland
were not to join; and what would happen to UK-wide
bodies, e.g. the Maritime Coastguard Agency.
Question on whether proposals to withdraw latent
scallop entitlements would be implemented.
Question on where quota will come from to support
new entrants.
Concerns about the effect the consultation is having
on the stability of investments in the FQA system; and
what was being done to support investors buying in
quota units from outside Scotland.
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12. North West (June 19 / Macphail Centre, Ullapool)
IFGs
Marine Protected
Areas
Prawns
Concern about the lack of progress with the IFGs; and
- that including the Mull area has made the North West
IFG too large, making attending meetings etc difficult.
An observation that the continuing closure of the
Lochs Duich, Long & Alsh Special Area of
Conservation to mobile gear highlighted a lack of
reliable information on fishing activities in the area,
and how this could be rectified in the future to avoid
further constraints.
Concern at the low prices mobile and static gear
fishermen are getting for prawns, with landings from
- remote locations proving difficult to market.
Suggestion that local West Coast processing of
prawns could be viable.
13. South East (July 4 / Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther)
Creel Support Fund
-
Days At Sea
-
Discard Ban
-
E-Log Books
-
Handline Mackerel
-
Licensing Review
-
Quota Consultation
-
Criticism at money going to Seafood Scotland for
market development work, instead of being used to
increase the amount of direct support payments; and
at how the funding was distributed to fishermen.
Recognition of the exemptions from Days At Sea
controls secured for 17 vessels in the Firth of Forth;
and concern about the ability to access different
fishing areas, such as the West Coast.
Concern for the survivability of small nephrops and
the possible safety issues for small boats if they have
to retain their whole catch on-board.
Problems encountered with poor reception in the Firth
of Forth and the suppliers not being available to help
resolve technical issues.
Question of whether there were plans to ‘top-slice’ the
quota of other species. Complaint that part-time
fishermen with 10mu vessels can now fish for
mackerel but that full-time >10m vessel owners
cannot due to the local PO not having quota.
Concerns that latent scallop entitlements could be
withdrawn, and that this would reduce the number of
fishing opportunities open to inshore vessels.
Complaint from a vessel owner that the moratorium
was preventing him from selling his vessel to a buyer
in England.
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Scottish Government Update
14. Creel Support Fund
The Scottish Creel Support Fund was established to provide financial assistance
to the creel sector, which had suffered difficulties as a result of the exceptional
weather of winter 2012-13 causing a considerable loss of fishing gear and a
significant drop in catches.
The Scottish Government made funding available for direct payments to
fishermen, with 153 being successful in applying for an award. Each one received
a £2,000 payment, for a total of £306,000. The criteria applied throughout the
application process were designed to ensure that the funding benefitted those
full-time fishermen who had experienced the greatest financial hardship.
The Government also made £100,000 available to support the development of
new and existing markets for creel-caught produce. This work is being done in
partnership with Seafood Scotland, and a working group representing creel
catchers and processors has been set up to decide on the direction of this work.
15. Discard Ban
Marine Scotland has been working closely with the pelagic sector on delivery of
the pelagic landing obligation next year and will be meeting with the pelagic fleet
before the end of the calendar year to clarify aspects of implementation.
Marine Scotland is also working with the industry to develop its approach to the
demersal landing obligation. Through the Scottish Discards Steering Group
(SDSG) we have circulated the work programme for developing the regional
discard plans for the North Sea and north West Waters. This provides the
industry with the timescales for providing information on supporting exemptions
and derogations from the demersal landing obligation. We are now working with
the Scottish Industry Discards Initiative to develop our approach to
implementation from 2016.
16. Funding
The new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) in Scotland is due to
launch in early 2015. The fund, which benefits from an increased share of the UK
allocation, will support the industry to deal with the impact of the CFP reform.
Support will be available throughout all sectors, with actions principally focusing
on the discard ban, both at the point of capture and at the point of landing.
Where EU State Aid rules can restrict some activity which distorts the European
single market, actions funded under the EMFF, such as support to the existing
fleet, are exempt from these state aid restrictions as long as they comply with
EMFF rules. Support will also extend to new entrants to the fishing sector if they
meet agreed eligibility criteria, as well as wider vocational and safety training.
17. Gear Conflict
The Scottish Government is keen to promote best practice for inshore fisheries
and tackle long standing issues such as gear conflict where they exist. Gear
conflict is not widespread in Scottish waters, but is a complex long-standing
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problem with no easy solution, and one that can have a significant impact on the
viability of individual businesses. Deliberate acts of gear vandalism are
unacceptable.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, established a
Government Taskforce in November 2013 to examine gear conflict, how
processes might be improved to prevent conflict from occurring in the first place,
and how to deal with any instances more effectively. The Taskforce made a
number of recommendations to Ministers in July 2014, that were subsequently
discussed with the Inshore Fisheries Management and Conservation Group
(IFMAC) and published. A full Consultation on measures to tackle gear conflict in
Scottish inshore waters will be launched in early November 2014.
18. Handline Mackerel
For the 2014 season, and following Ministerial decisions announced at the end of
March after consultation, initial allocations of 1,000 tonnes of North Sea mackerel
and 325 tonnes of western mackerel were made to Scottish 10 metre and under
groups. For the North Sea, this represented an additional 700 tonnes of quota
which would normally have been allocated to Producer Organisations. For the
West Coast, an additional 300 tonnes was assigned over and above what would
otherwise have been allocated.
In co-ordination with IFGs, catch limits were set, adjusted when necessary, and
the fisheries were opened from early June (the western fishery had been open
since the start of the year).
For a variety of reasons – primarily weather-related – the season overall has
been poor, although there appears to have been a reasonable late fishery in
Shetland. Recorded landings of the North Sea stock have struggled to reach 300
tonnes (an uptake of just 30% of this year’s allocation), while landings of western
mackerel are unlikely to exceed 20 tonnes.
For these reasons, and following consultation with relevant IFGs, quota
managers in Marine Scotland reallocated back to pelagic licence
holders/Producer Organisations 476 tonnes of North Sea mackerel and 275
tonnes of western mackerel in mid-September.
19. Licensing Review
The Scottish Government launched a consultation to see what could be done to
simplify the rules around fishing vessel licensing. The consultation was shaped
by the Scottish Licensing Review Working Group (SLRWG), a joint government
and industry group. Its proposals were designed to provide greater flexibility and
to be less burdensome within the overall context of managing fisheries
sustainably.
Twenty four formal responses were received, all of which were considered and
analysed. The ‘Scottish Government Response Document’ confirming the
outcome of the consultation can be found here:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Licensing/FVLS/response.
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20. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Prior to the designation of 30 MPAs in July 2014, Scottish Ministers
commissioned a review of the scientific advice received, and this supported the
recommendations of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Scottish
Natural Heritage.
For fisheries management in MPAs, we are identifying where fishing activities are
likely to impede the achievement of conservation objectives. Where this is the
case, we will work with those who undertake these activities and others to design
measures that will allow the conservation objectives to be achieved whilst
minimising any socio-economic impacts. Management in relation to these
features is required but in most cases not across the entire MPA.
There will be a two year programme of development and implementation of
management measures involving full engagement with the industry, and where
statutory provisions are required – Marine Conservation Orders, Marine
Management Schemes, or orders under the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984
– there will be a formal consultation period.
21. New Entrants
The impact of a highly competitive labour market continues to be of particular
concern to many traditional fishing areas and communities. The Scottish
Government has worked closely with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation in
establishing a modern apprentice scheme for commercial fisheries and continues
to provide funding through the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) towards Seafish’s
training programme, with significant awards supporting New Entrant training and
the under 16.5 metre Skippers Certificate course. EFF has also provided 15
individual applicants with direct grants totalling over £332,000 to become first
time vessel owners or shareholders.
The Scottish Government is considering how it might further incentivise potential
new entrants, including through the current consultation on Scottish fish quotas.
Further financial support to first time owners will be considered within the
provisions of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the successor
programme to EFF, which will launch in 2015.
Marine Scotland has recently published ‘An Assessment of the Conditions
Affecting Entry into the Scottish Fishing Industry and Potential Policy Responses’.
New entry into the Scottish fishing industry is commonly perceived as a selfevident necessity for the long-term prosperity of the sector and its absence a
signal for government intervention. The remit of this paper is to explore whether
prohibitive conditions exist that prevent new, young workers from entering into
the Scottish fishing industry. The report can be found here:
www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/09/1847/0.
22. Prawn and White Fish Hardship Fund
The primary purpose of the Aid to Adapt Action Plan Hardship Fund was to help
alleviate short term financial hardship caused by the dramatic fall in the
availability of prawns in 2013.
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The Fisheries Management and Conservation Group agreed in January 2014 to
provide payments that offered applying vessels a minimum net profit of £17,000,
subject to EU State Aid rules that limit payments to individual applicants to
£24,714.
One hundred and thirty seven awards were made from the Hardship Fund,
totalling nearly £2.4 million. Payments ranged from £500 up to the £24,714
maximum.
23. Quota Consultation
The Scottish Government announced plans to conduct a public consultation on
the allocation of Scottish fish quota on 28 January 2014. Effective from that date,
the Government also announced a moratorium on the permanent transfer of
quota allocation units out of Scotland.
The Scottish Government published its consultation paper on the future allocation
of Scottish fish quotas on 26 June 2014, and the extended consultation period is
due to close on 28 November 2014
The consultation is about how the Scottish Government should allocate the fish
quota that is made available to Scotland. We are holding a consultation now
because fishermen have raised concerns about the present system of allocation:
some have complained that the present system has encouraged trading of quota
and its concentration in fewer hands, resulting in increased quota leasing costs
for active fishermen. The high cost of accessing quota makes it very difficult for
new fishermen to get started in the industry.
The Government believes that quotas must be managed in the common interest,
and wishes to encourage quotas to be held by those who can fish them. This
consultation considers if the system needs to change to better pursue these aims
and the Government’s wider policy objectives.
There are essentially three options:



keep the status quo
make changes to the current system to try to achieve more of the
Government’s policy objectives
move to a new system
The Government has an open mind about which option to pursue, but wants to
make sure that the quota allocation system pursues its objectives effectively.
Scottish Ministers will consider carefully the responses to this consultation before
announcing their decisions, likely to be sometime in the first half of 2015.
Sea Fisheries Policy Division
Marine Scotland
November 2014
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