23 November 2012
The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations has expressed its strong opposition to suggestions emanating from large Scottish pelagic ship owners that mackerel quota should be redistributed away from the hand-line fishery in the South West.
NFFO Chairman Paul Trebilcock said:
“It is true that in recent years the hand-line allocation has not been fully utilised. This is normal in a fishery which fluctuates from year to year.
The point is that in the years when this quota is not fully utilised, it provides valuable swap currency which is then used to secure alternative quota for stocks that are accessible for the under-10 metre fleet and the hand-liners. Indeed it was a hard fought for allocation and ultimately a protection for the hand-liners that should not be given away by DEFRA”
“At a time when we are all working to ease the quota situation for the under-10s which includes a high number of hand-liners, this is a very unhelpful, not to say selfish, suggestion.”
Note
The SW hand line mackerel quota allocation is 0.83% of the UK allocation of the Western mackerel or 1750t which ever is greater. UK quota 2012 is 166,765 tonnes.