SFF COMMENTS ON THE UK FISHERIES DEAL

With the news that the UK, Norway and the EU have agreed Total Allowable Catches (TACs) for the six jointly managed stocks in the North Sea, Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of SFF, said: “The agreement reached through this three-way negotiation sets the 2022 TACs for some of Scotland’s most important commercial stocks. The UK can now move forward with the bilateral discussions with our neighbouring coastal states about fishing opportunities and access arrangements for the year ahead, the aim being to provide clarity and certainty to the industry before the start of the new year.

“While the industry is yet again faced with fluctuations in TACs based on scientific advice that in many cases doesn’t reflect what fishermen see on the grounds, UK and Scottish government negotiators have worked hard to secure the best possible outcomes for our fleet, showing the benefit of the UK being at the negotiating table in its own right, which it could never be as part of the EU.”

The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) was formed in 1973 to preserve and promote the collective interests of Scotland’s fishermen’s associations. The Federation plays an active role in advancing the interests of Scottish fishermen at national and international levels by lobbying government officials in Edinburgh, London and Brussels. The Federation also plays a key role in helping to inform: fisheries science; the management of the marine environment; inshore fisheries management; marine spatial planning; marine safety regulations and industry recruitment and training programmes.

The Federation umbrella covers eight geographical/sectoral constituent associations representing around 400 vessels from inshore creel boats to pelagic trawlers