Mike Park the executive chairman of the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association said that Mr Bradshaw had claimed the deal would mean no financial hardship for the industry.

“Either he was wrongly briefed or he really did not try to secure a good deal for Scotland. He has again secured a decent deal for his own constituency but not for us,” Mr Park contended.

"We will be even more dependent on high prices getting us through and for Dutch beam trawlers to be given more days at sea than our prawn vessels, is an utter disgrace."

Meanwhile, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation said the

agreement has reduced by between 7% and 10% the number of days at sea for Scottish vessels targeting whitefish and prawns, sparking "huge disappointment" within the industry.

The agreement sees a 10% reduction in days at sea for prawn (Nephrops) trawlers using a mesh size between 70 and 89mm; an 8% cut for boats with mesh between 90 and 120mm; and a 7% cut for whitefish vessels with a mesh size of 120mm or more.

Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong said the two crucial areas for the Scots fleet at the December Council were to achieve satisfactory quotas in line with stock science and to have the time to catch their allocation.

The outcome on TACs (total allowable catches) at the talks was broadly satisfactory. Rockall haddock, for example is up by a significant amount although North Sea prawns are down by around 7%. Northern shelf monkfish is up 10%

A 5.4% increase in North Sea haddock and a 14% reduction in North Sea cod had already been agreed at the earlier EU/Norway negotiations. Overall, the TACs agreed for 2007 have been broadly in line with stock science.

Mr Armstrong added:”The major disappointment for the Scottish fleet, however, is the decision to reduce by between 7% and 10% the number of days that whitefish and prawn boats can spend at sea. The decision has particularly serious ramifications for the prawn sector which uses smaller sized mesh, resulting in a 10% cut in their days allocation.

“This decision is wholly unsatisfactory,It does not take into account the monumental sacrifices made by the fleet in down-sizing or the fact that we have been fully compliant with the rules to reach this position.”

The SFF had been arguing for the current management regime to be rolled-over into 2007, given that the whitefish fleet has been cut by 65% since 2000 and has suffered sequential reductions in days-at-sea.

The move to cut days at sea has also brought into question the process of how such decisions are reached.

Mr Armstrong said: “Careful negotiations that have taken place throughout the year have largely been ignored with the Commission adopting a totally unacceptable starting position at this Council meeting. Such decisions affect the livelihoods of fishermen and should not be taken in a highly charged political atmosphere where little account is taken of the huge efforts made the Scottish fish fleet to fish sustainably and responsibly.

“These new restrictions will place unnecessary extra pressure on the Scottish fleet.”

Jim Portus, the chief executive of the South-Western Fish Producers Organisation (SWFPO) said the most significant development for the South West UK owners of the fleet of beam trawlers that are based in the ports of Plymouth and Brixham is the decision to have a long-term management plan for the stock of Dover sole in the western English Channel. This is an arrangement that SWFPO members and he had been working towards for three years. The North Western Waters Regional Advisory Council (NWWRAC) had earlier this year tabled an Opinion to the Commission that has also influenced this decision.

"For the first time we have a Multi-Annual Management Plan (MAMP). The implications are that the Total Allowable Catch will be based from now onwards on the Fishing Mortality Rate (F). A target has been set (F0.27) that should be reached by 2013, by which time the stock is to be harvested at its maximum sustainable yield (MSY).Boats, such as the SW UK beam trawlers, will continue to be limited in the number of days that they can exploit this stock, with for 2007 a reduction of 20% (4 days per month) in their days at sea compared to 2005. That means to owners a loss of three days per month in the year ahead when compared to the 2006 level. The UK will now have to “buy-back” 10 days for the year because of voluntary changes in 2006 in the fleet paid for by the owners. The monthly number of days at sea will likely be 17 compared to 19 this year.This part of the deal is a disappointment as it ignores the 2005 fleet reductions made at the expense of the industry.Mr Portus had asked for the extra 12 days secured in 2005 to be “rolled-over” into 2007, but this could not be delivered. “The terms of the Multi-annual plan are not exactly as would have been wished, but at least the Council has agreed to include it in the Quota Regulation.In 2007 there will now be a modest £5 million decommissioning scheme that should remove a surplus of about 5% of the SW UK beam trawler fleet thus allowing the remainder to earn an extra day per month each." It is expected that owners will be able to fish in future in the area for 18 days per month.Other decisions of the Council are (1) to reduce the cod catch in the western approaches by 15% (as opposed to the original 35% cut suggested) and to consider in 2007 the inclusion of that stock in the other cod recovery arrangements, taking into consideration the Trevose Box closure that has been used beneficially for a number of other associated stocks for 3 years; (2) to keep at the 2006 level the megrim quota to the relief of fishermen in Newlyn (initially proposed to be a 25% cut); (3) to keep at the 2006 level the haddock and pollack; (4) to keep at the 2006 level the western deepwater sole quota (7hjk) (initially proposed to be a 15% cut) and (5) to minimise the reduction of the Trevose sole quota (7fg) to 6% (initially proposed to be a 12% cut).Western Channel sole (7e) will fall from 940 tonnes Total Allowable catch to 900 tonnes (4% cut). Channel Plaice falls by 2%, but the valuable anglerfish quota will rise by 6%. The hake quota is to go up by 15%

Their saithe quota has been reduced by 20% because of "underutilisation" and industry had earlier been led to understand that such cuts might be avoided, he said.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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