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SPFA WELCOMES HERRING AGREEMENT
Ian Gatt, chief executive of the SPFA, welcomed the agreement reached last week between the UK, EU and Norway on herring catches for 2022.
He said: “Although ICES advice allowed for a 45% increase in the TAC, limiting the increase to 20% is more precautionary given uncertainty in the scientific advice.
“The Association was never in favour of taking the full TAC increase and advocated capping this at 20%. 2022 will be pivotal year for herring management as the working group on herring is due to provide their recommendations in the early part of 2022.
“Following that parties will meet to begin discussions on a new management regime that will hopefully resolve management issues around intermixing of North Sea, 3a, and Western Baltic herring, and also fleet structures. Bycatches of herring in industrial fisheries and who pays for these quotas are also issues that need to be resolved.”
HISTORY
The Scottish Herring Producer’s Association Limited was founded on 9 February 1932. Within ten months of its formation the Association had no fewer than 3,128 individual members grouped in 13 branches based in ports from East Fife northwards to Lerwick, across the north coast of Scotland and west as far as Stornoway. The membership included fish salesmen, boat owners and share fishermen.
The Association came into being out of a deep and widespread crisis facing the herring industry. At the time there was need for more efficient organisation of the producing side of the industry. It was hoped that this one Association would take the place of the large number of separate Fishermen’s Associations throughout Scotland and give shape and direction to the common interests of those involved in the Scottish herring industry.
The first major initiative was to arrange a deal to export 100,000 barrels of cured herring to Russia, instantly stimulating prices in the domestic market. A minimum price scheme and proposals to initiate an advertising campaign to stimulate the home market soon followed. The Association also played an active role in the campaign to bring share fishermen under the Industrial Injuries and Health and Unemployment Scheme which was finally achieved in 1945.
