Scottish fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead revealed today that he had constructive talks with the Norwegian state secretary Vidar Ulriksen at the Scottish Parliament today.
Mr Lochhead said: 'Following on from last week's productive Discards Summit in Edinburgh, at which Norwegian representatives made a valued contribution, I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with the Norwegian state secretary. Norway and Scotland have much in common including a shared commitment to the future of the fishing sector.
'We discussed pioneering Scottish and Norwegian initiatives to protect valuable North Sea stocks and the Norwegian experience of a discards ban. There is much we can learn from Norway, and I am looking forward to developing an even stronger working relationship in the future with my Norwegian counter-parts. And later this month I'll have the chance to put forward our case directly to EU fisheries commissioner Joe Borg, who I know shares many of our views, when he visits Scotland.
'Both Scotland and Norway are in total agreement about the importance of taking steps to ensure sustainable fisheries in the North Sea and reduce discard levels.
'Scotland has already taken the lead in the EU through its voluntary real-time closures and its Conservation Credits Scheme, and we remain committed to ensuring that our precious natural resources are managed sustainably and protected for future generations.
'I agreed with my Norwegian counterpart that in early 2009 we will explore ways in which real-time closures could apply to both Scottish and Norwegian vessels and possibly also third country vessels. We also undertook to agree during October the ways in which we will work together to trigger closures in Norwegian waters under the Scottish scheme pending the establishment of a formal joint arrangement for real time closures.
'Earlier this week Scotland's determination to radically reduce the amount of fish dumped in Europe's seas received a positive response in Brussels at the latest EU Fisheries Council. In the wake of our Discards Summit, Scotland is speaking with a powerful voice on the scandal of dumped fish. I know other nations also share this view.
'We will continue for the issue to be pushed up the agenda as we head towards the end of the year and the annual round of fisheries negotiations. It is in Europe where any solution would need to be agreed. It is the discredited Common Fisheries Policy which forces fishermen to discard fish.'
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Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
