Tag Archives: Marine Scotland
Carmichael leads backbench fisheries debate
Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has called for he termed “the modern gangsters of the sea” to be tackled more effectively by the UK’s marine enforcement agencies. His comments came after a German registered/Spanish owned gill netter, well known to local fishermen, were handed heavy fines by an Irish court for breaching fisheries legislation. The Orkney and Shetland MP led a three hour fisheries debate in parliament on Friday, which raised a wide range of issues important to the sector. Carmichael described the F/V Pesorsa Dos and [French long liner] F/V Antonio Maria as “notorious examples” engaged in dangerous behaviour towards local fishing vessels in the waters around Shetland in recent years. However, efforts by the local industry and the Northern Isles MP to get Marine Scotland, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as well as the UK Government to act were largely unsuccessful. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:51
Dunbar: Call to report unlicensed fishermen selling stolen shellfish
Residents and businesses from throughout the county are being urged to report unlicensed fishermen who have been stealing from creels and selling stolen shellfish caught in and around Dunbar. The town’s harbour is home to nearly 30 fishing vessels ranging from six to 15 metres long. In recent years, it has experienced thefts from crab and lobster creels, as well as fishing equipment being stolen. The issue has been made worse by the poaching of undersized crabs and lobsters, as well as egg-laden queens, by unlicensed fishermen. >click to read< 10:49
Scrabster in top three in Scotland as fishing activity outperforms national average
Fishing activity at Scrabster outperformed the national average last year and the port is now in the top three in Scotland, newly released figures have shown. However, while the Caithness harbour has recovered well from the “turbulence and volatility” created by Covid-19, continued growth is likely to be hampered by fuel costs and other challenges. Marine Scotland’s Scottish Fisheries Statistics 2021 give details of fish landings at every port in the country. The harbour is the third most important port/district in Scotland, after Peterhead and Shetland. >click to read< 09:55
Berried lobster catches could force ban on fishermen
Shetland will enforce Scotland’s first ban on landing egg-bearing lobsters in a conservation move driven by local fishermen. The new regulation agreed by the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation outlaws the practice of boats keeping so-called berried lobsters, which carry many thousands of eggs. SSMO say that preventing the removal of these lobsters will help protect the spawning stock needed for a sustainable fishery. SSMO inshore co-ordinator John Robertson said: “This ban is seen by many fishermen as a positive way they can boost stocks in the absence of a lobster hatchery in Shetland. “It was the fishermen who called for the ban and they backed it in a vote conducted last year by the SSMO. >click to read< 13:10
Warning of ‘environmental devastation’ of offshore wind farms
A campaign group has accused the offshore wind industry of creating “environmental devastation”, and claimed that the impact will become greater as more projects are developed. Scotland Against Spin took issue with a Scottish Government survey which found that a majority of people approve of offshore wind farms. Those living in coastal areas cited the economic benefits of offshore, according to the study, while the effects on tourism “could be minimal”. Industry body Scottish Renewables said the findings indicated that most members of the public recognise the social and economic importance of the offshore wind sector. However, Scotland Against Spin chairman Graham Lang maintained that offshore developments are posing a threat to seabirds, including puffins and kittiwakes, and to fish species such as haddock, cod and mackerel. >click to read< 20:19
Brexit and Covid: Mackay predicts the current decline will see some Ayrshire fishermen leave the industry
Tony Mackay predicted that the current decline will see some Ayrshire fishermen call it a day and leave the industry altogether. The value of fish landings within the Ayr district, which includes the major Port of Troon and other smaller towns and villages, fell by a massive 33 per cent to £9 million last year. And the tonnage fell by 26 per cent to 3.7 million.,, “I don’t think there’s any problem with the fish stocks in terms of a significant decline, it’s just problems with Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns. >click to read< 10:16
Equinor to trial safe fishing with floating offshore wind farm at Hywind Scotland. No Dragging, though.
Hywind Scotland’s operator Equinor and Scottish government agency Marine Scotland will work together to better understand how fishers can safely operate around and within floating offshore wind farms. In a survey scheduled for 2022, Marine Scotland will test three kinds of fishing gear: creels, fish traps and jigging lines at Hywind Scotland.,, California dreaming – Elsewhere in floating offshore wind, BOEM has decided to determine industry interest in developing offshore wind at two sites in a 1,033km2 area off central California,,, >click to read< 22:05
Scottish ministers are contesting a judge’s demand to reconsider a no-trawl scheme
Lady Poole made the ruling after ministers said that the revisiting the proposed pilot no-trawl scheme “would serve no practical purpose”. She took action after, in a landmark legal judgement, the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation (SCFF) won a court challenge over the “right to trawl” in Scotland’s inshore waters which was expected to have a marked bearing in fishing rights across the country.,, But the Scottish Government has decided to appeal her ruling. >click to read< 08:37
Fines to rogue fishermen fall and illegal fishing escapes prosecution, environmentalists claim
Concerns have been raised recently that fishermen are increasingly involved in illegal scallop dredging and prawn trawling to supply a black market in seafood, at the expense of Scotland’s marine environment.,,, Environmentalists claim that the Scottish Government is not treating damage to MPAs by boats as “serious crimes”. They have accused the official body tasked with protecting seas, Marine Scotland, of failing to take tough enforcement action against skippers breaking the law. >click to read< 13:54
Huge herring spawning ground discovered in Wester Ross
A huge spawning ground for herring has been discovered near Gairloch in Wester Ross. The ground, thought to be around three square kilometres, was discovered by scallop divers who operate in the area. Scientists from Marine Scotland are examining egg samples from the site to try to identify their genetics. Overfishing has long been considered the main reason herring numbers fell sharply. But more recent research suggests climate change affecting plankton,, >click to read<20:22
Operation Jolly Roger: inside the secret world of Scotland’s fishermen pirates
An underground intelligence network aimed at helping hundreds of fishermen avoid getting caught fishing illegally around Scotland’s coast has been condemned as “blatant piracy”. Fishermen intent on breaking the law are tracking the movements of the Scottish Government’s three fisheries patrol boats – the Minna, Jura and Hirta – to try and hamper them from policing the seas, boarding boats and seizing their illegal catches. The three Marine Protection Vessels (MPVs) regularly patrol the coastline on the lookout for boats breaching the law by taking “black fish” in excess of their quotas, fishing in conservation areas or using illegal techniques, such as electric fishing. But a social media site followed by 670 people is posting daily sightings and photos of the MPVs so that illegal fishermen can keep out of their way. It has also published abusive comments about the government’s Marine Scotland agency and the former fisheries minister, SNP MSP Richard Lochhead. The revelations have prompted anger from campaigners and politicians, and a plea for respect from the Scottish Government. Fishermen have responded by saying they are defending their livelihood because “red tape is killing us”. Read the story here 10:23
