The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) suffers from ''systemic failures'' and must be overhauled, according to a new report from an independent think tank. The interim report of the Inquiry into Future Fisheries Management (IFFM) also says that the CFP results in ''gladatorial'' battles over quotas and that ''fishermen experience the worst aspects of the current regime''.
It suggests a regional management model as the most promising means of delivering real reform of fisheries policy.
Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said:"The Inquiry's interim report has highlighted the fundamental flaws in a discredited Common Fisheries Policy that is crippling our fishing industry. The energy and effort that the inquiry has put into this authoritative report is clearly evident. It identifies the key challenges and proposes a positive way forward. This is the first meaningful contribution to the debate on the future of the CFP that we have seen from anywhere in Europe and it merits serious consideration. "This report will help us develop our response to Europe's Green Paper on the future of the CFP and, longer-term, help us decide how we can best manage our seas once we regain control of fisheries policy."
The UK has the largest share of EU waters and Scotland is responsible for around 70 per cent of key UK fishing quotas.
