This is the optimistic assessment of WWF Scotland which has just published a survey on the state of some of the most important commercial catch species such as cod and haddock.
WWF Scotland's marine policy officer, Dr Mireille Thom, described 2010 as a year of "ups and downs" for the Scottish industry. On the plus side she said one of the major events was North Sea haddock achieving Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation for sustainability. Haddock is worth around £32.1 million to the Scottish industry, according to the latest statistics.
But on the down side there were still problems over cod stocks failing to recover sufficiently to allow an increase in quota next year, despite progressive conservation measures by the home fleet. Cod has a value of around £16.7 million a year to Scotland. But monkfish, with a value of about £31-million, makes it almost as valuable as haddock.
WWF Scotland welcomed progressive measures to conserve stocks. But it warned that the amount of haddock being dumped off the west of Scotland because they were too big, or too small, was "unacceptably high". The organisation also called for better scientific knowledge of monkfish, a relatively new species taken by the Scottish whitefish fleet.
Dr Thom said: "Conservation measures taken by the industry have been rewarded in the North Sea, where the haddock fishery gained Marine Stewardship Council certification. However, despite progressive measures being taken in Scotland to protect cod, including the use of more selective fishing gear and CCTV on board a number of vessels, North Sea cod stocks have not yet recovered enough to avoid new cuts in quotas."
She added: "Scotland's fishing industry is part of the fabric of the nation and has a profitable future ahead of it, but only if long-term conservation measures are strengthened and the European Common Fisheries Policy undergoes an effective reform along more sustainable lines."
