Following the statement from European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki during Thursday's debate in the European Parliament on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy that the protection of local fisheries will be a keystone of the new CFP, Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said: 'The issue of international tradable quotas has been on the agenda during this debate in the European Parliament and we therefore welcome this statement from the Commissioner of the need to protect local fisheries.
'We would strongly resist any move to change the current system of relative stability in the CFP, which helps to protect our national fishing rights. Since the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament is now involved in the decision-making process for fisheries policy, and we are encouraged by the stance that our MEPs are adopting during this process.
'The reform of the CFP provides a unique opportunity for change, the key focus of which should be the protection of national fishing rights and the decentralisation of control so as to provide more effective management.'
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
