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Struan Stevenson |
Last week's European Commission announcement of further cuts in the number of days at sea for Scottish whitefish vessels has been described as “abrupt and inexplicable” by a Scottish MEP.
Commenting following an urgent meeting with UK Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon MP to discuss the implications of the announcement for Scottish fishermen, Struan Stevenson, Scottish Conservative MEP and Senior Vice-President of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee said: “The European Commission’s announcement seems to fly in the face of all common sense.
"Scottish whitefish vessels have been participating in good faith in a catch-quota scheme as part of the cod recovery plan that displays the strength of hugely important innovations like CCTV in removing the need for discards. To be told out of the blue that the extra days at sea they expected in return for participation in the scheme is a bizarre change of tack.
“I can assure Scotland’s fishermen that this is not the end of the story. Commissioner Damanaki must be persuaded that the continuance of such micro-management from Brussels cannot go on when it so clearly threatens the very survival of Scotland’s cod fishery.
“I am fully assured that the UK government is united with the Scottish industry in its determination to overturn this abrupt and inexplicable decision.”
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