ANY new measures to conserve cod in the North Sea must be backed up by firm evidence, Scotland's fisheries minister underlined today.
Speaking at the Fishing 2005 show in Glasgow, Ross Finnie said Scotland had already shown the way in terms of effort reduction.
He said: "The Commission has to demonstrate the extent to which Scotland is not making its fair and equitable contribution to the reduction in effort of 65%.
"We produced evidence to the Commission last year which showed that we were certainly at 60% if not closer to 65%. If the Commission is continuing to produce evidence that the average for the North Sea is only about 50%, well we have to do the arithmetic.
"For if we are at 60% and the average is 50%, do not look to Scotland to improve the average."
On West Coast fishermen's anger that they were not able to "bank" prawns from last year, Mr Finnie said they had been pressing the Commission to justify their policy.
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