A new report by the NAFC Marine Centre has found that the abundance of the main species caught by Scottish fishermen has increased over the last five or six years.
The report collated and summarised information published by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, and found that while stocks of some species had declined in the past, most had seen substantial increases over the last few years.
At the same time, the fishing mortality rate for most stocks (the proportion of the fish that are caught each year) has fallen sharply. For example, the stock of North Sea cod more than doubled in size between 2006 and 2012 while its fishing mortality rate fell by 43% between 2000 and 2011.
Stocks of some other species have increased to unprecedented levels: the plaice stock in the North Sea for example was larger in 2012 than at any time since at least 1960, having tripled in size since 2004. The stock of hake more than quadrupled in size between 2006 and 2011.
Report author Dr Ian Napier, commented: “Two things are evident from this data. Firstly, while some stocks declined in size prior to the mid 2000s, most have increased in size - often substantially - since then. Secondly, fishing mortality rates have declined substantially over the last decade.”
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the SFF, said: “At a time when there is much alarmist and sensationalist misinformation about the state of our fish stocks, this report gives the true story of recovering seas and much reduced fishing effort. It will also give the public the reassurance that they can purchase Scottish seafood safe in the knowledge that it is being sustainably harvested under the careful stewardship of our hardworking fishermen.”
The report is available online here.
To read the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust's response to this story, please click here.
