Scottish Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead is to meet with Scotland''s fishing industry leaders to discuss the impact of the current economic crisis and the implementation of the days at sea regime.
In the coming days and weeks Mr Lochhead will hold talks across Scotland with representatives of the Scottish White Fish Producers' Association, the Scottish Fishermen's Organisation and the Western Isles Fishermen's Association, among others.
Mr Lochhead will also attend the Scottish Conservation Credits Steering Group on 15 April.
Last night Mr Lochhead met Flemish Minister President and Belgian Fisheries Minister Kris Peeters in Brussels to discuss the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and the cod recovery plan. As Belgium will hold the Presidency of the EU Fisheries Council next year, Flanders will play a key role in shaping EU fisheries policy
Mr Lochhead said:
"We recognise the tough measures that Scotland's fishing communities are facing right now and the effect that these are having on the industry. The EU's outdated and broken Common Fisheries Policy, combined with the current economic situation, is having a dreadful impact on our fishing communities, and we have worked hard to offset the very worst of its impact.
"At December Council we helped secure a deal that allowed cuts in days at sea to be avoided if vessels adopt new conservation efforts. This helped to avoid some distinctly unpalatable alternatives such as the closure of the lucrative west coast prawn fishery and having 25 per cent cuts in days at sea across the board. We are working with the industry to develop these measures, which are also having an impact on our European neighbours.
"Nonetheless we recognise that the industry's difficulties are further compounded by the current economic crisis. This is hitting communities and industries hard across Scotland and the fishing industry is no different.
"The EU needs to offer our fishermen a light at the end of the tunnel given the painful measures they are currently facing, which ironically are being imposed against a backdrop of the recovering North Sea Cod stock."
As part of the new plan, EU Member States are now responsible for allocating days at sea to vessels. The Scottish Government launched a consultation with the fishing industry on this so that individual skippers could have their say on a new system affecting them:
The consultation paper asks skippers whether they would prefer days at sea to be allocated on a flat rate - the same allocation for each vessel of the same type - or on an historic basis, taking into account each vessel's fishing in previous years. It closes on 3 April.
