Fish discard 'freedom' welcomed by industry leaders

Measures to ease pressure on boats which will be affected by a European discard ban have been welcomed by Scottish fishing leaders.

From the beginning of the year, boats had to start landing unwanted fish which were caught in their nets.

Incidents of throwing dead fish back into the sea had increased due to EU quotas on which fish could be landed.

UK Fisheries Minister George Eustice has unveiled the chance to bank or borrow quotas.

'So important'

Mr Eustice said: "If we want a profitable fishing industry and thriving coastal communities in the future it is vital that we fish sustainably today.

"That is why the reforms we have secured to the Common Fisheries Policy, which will put an end to the shameful practice of throwing perfectly good fish overboard, are so important.

"It is essential that we ban the practice of discarding fish, but we are also committed to introducing new flexibilities to help fishermen manage their quotas."

Bertie Armstrong, chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF), said the measures were welcome, but warned there was still a lot of hard negotiating to be done.

'Fully prepared'

Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said: "No-one wants to see dead fish being thrown back into the sea - least of all our fishermen.

"That's why we are working closely with the industry to ensure the discard ban is implemented effectively and proportionately in Scotland, and to help make sure fishermen are fully prepared.

"We published a consultation paper in June about the allocation of the 'discard transfer' - the additional quota that fishermen will receive when the landing obligation commences for each species. We will announce the outcome of that soon."

The ban came into force in January for species such as herring and mackerel, and takes effect next January for species including haddock.