The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation will tell a seminar in Brussels tomorrow (6 March) that the Scottish catching sector is fully committed to sustainability and has made huge strides in meeting its environmental responsibilities.
The event – Scotland’s Seafood Sector: Building the Future – has been organised by the Scottish Executive and will hear a number of presentations on how the industry and its fisheries administrators are moving from conflict to consensus.
The event will also include an open discussion session on the challenges for the future, most notably the need to ensure sustainable fishing.
Bertie Armstrong, SFF chief executive, will tell delegates that the Scottish industry recognises its responsibilities to produce a sustainable harvest of excellent natural products.
He will say: “The state of the marine environment is generally very good and we are committed in maintaining this position. However, the industry is facing the serious challenge of misinformation being fed to the general public.”
Mr Armstrong will point out that the industry has downsized dramatically in recent years and is now fully compatible with the current catching opportunities. The catching sector also fully believes in compliance and is developing a close relationship with the compliance agency.
But he will warn that the industry is not in a position to endure further cuts, nor are they warranted, pointing out the serious socio-economic effects this will have on fishing communities, and which would jeopardise Scotland’s rich fishing heritage.
