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- George
Hamilton
- Fisheries
Development Manager
- Highland
Council
- Inverness,
Scotland
FISHERIES ISSUES
PAPER
HIGHLAND COUNCIL CONTRIBUTION
INSHORE FISHERIES
1.0 SUMMARY
The following paper briefly
describes the conditions under which fisheries operate
around the Highlands. It briefly considers European
Fisheries (how the EU dimension effects "territorial
waters") but concentrates mainly on Highland inshore
fisheries (measured 6 miles from baselines) and their
sustainable management. Brief consideration of the main
issues currently reckoned to prohibit sustainable management
is included, along with Highland Council's proposals
designed to overcome their effects.
2.0 INTRODUCTION TO HIGHLAND/UK
FISHERIES
2.1 Around the Highlands
(and the UK generally) fisheries can be considered as
falling into three bands, from a European Union (EU) Member
State access point of view;
- Fisheries within 6
miles of the UK coast (measured from baselines). The
Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984 defines fisheries
within this area as "Inshore Fisheries". Within this
band, licensed Highland/UK fishermen have exclusive
fishing rights for all commercial stocks contained
there.
- Fisheries between 6 and 12
miles of the UK coast. Within this narrow band
certain EU Member States have historic rights of access
to fisheries for certain species. For example, within
this band, licensed fishermen from West Germany, France,
Belgium, The Netherlands, and Eire have rights of access
to fisheries for herring, mackerel, nephrops, all species
or only demersal species, depending on the area
concerned. Although exclusive rights do not exist for
Highland/UK fishermen in this band, many fish
there.
- Fisheries between 12 and 200
miles of the UK coast. Within this area of sea,
fisheries are prosecuted by licensed vessels of the EU
fleet (including Highland/Scottish/UK) depending on quota
allocation and therefore historic activity where
appropriate. Not all species are managed by quota. These
species can be fished freely by licensed EU
skippers.
Although over simplistic in
description, many will already see the complex nature of EU
fisheries and the potential for management difficulties when
compared to Canadian fisheries.
2.2 Within EU waters all
commercial fishing vessels must be registered as such and be
licensed to fish, wither fishing for species managed by
quota or not. Licenses are issued by the Member State. In
the case of the Highlands, licenses are issued by the
Scottish Office (SO). The licensing system is considered
overly complex in itself and is currently subject to
review by SO in an attempt to simplify it. Six license types
exist in the over 10m sector. These are complicated further
by being split among the pelagic and demersal sectors.
Proposals to license scallop fishermen are currently on the
table. The under 10m sector is licensed seperately and third
country licenses are issued to vessels fishing in third
country and international waters.
2.3 Without in any way
detracting from the enormous importance of the offshore
fishery (outside 6 and 12 miles), this paper will, from here
on, mainly consider the inshore fishery within the Highlands
as it is this fishery that is of most relevance to the
discussions that will take place during the ECO-Knowledge
Seminar. In addition, although all EU fisheries are governed
by the Common Fisheries Policy, it is within the inshore
fishery that local government has the greatest potential to
influence management measures in pursuit of sustainability.
2.4 Within the Highlands
approximately 73% of fishing vessels based there are under
10m overall length. The main fishery is for shellfish
species comprising, lobster, crab (brown and velvet),
scallops (kings mainly), nephrops, whelks, razor clams and
occasionally crawfish. Of these species, the most important
are, nephrops, lobsters, crab and scallops. Nowadays only
small amounts of whitefish are taken within 12 miles of the
coast and the fishery is considered by many to be
non-viable. It is true that significant catches of pelagic
species can be made at certain times of the year but the
great bulk of catches are taken offshore and in third
country waters. It will be obvious to readers that small
vessels are mostly incapable of operating in the same manner
as larger vessels of the nomadic fleet and so depend
entirely on their adjacent waters. It is for this reason
that sustainable inshore fisheries are vitally important if
the continued viability of peripheral coastal communities
dependant on them is to be secured.
2.5 This last point is
especially important when it is considered that very
little value adding takes place within the Highlands
when compared to Aberdeenshire for instance. Fishery
production from the Highlands leaves the area fresh,
unprocessed. Primary processing is mainly carried on outside
the Highlands although most production goes fresh to markets
in France, Spain, Portugal Italy, and throughout continental
Europe. There are very few alternative employment
opportunities in fishing dependant communities throughout
the Highlands.
2.6 Although the Highlands
and Islands (H&I) area is larger than the Highland area,
by virtue of the fact that it includes the large island
settlements of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, it is
reasonable to consider some statistics covering the
Highlands and Islands. Inshore fisheries are alike
throughout the H&I and because of recording techniques,
it is often difficult to extract data for the Highlands
accurately without some mix from the larger area.Inshore
fisheries of the H&I are entirely typical of Highland
fisheries. The following statistics therefore give a flavour
for inshore Highland fisheries.
2.7 Employment in fish
catching in the H&I runs at 3463 in total. Of this
around 2540 are employed full time, 870 part-time and 53
constitute what are known as "crofter fishermen". Total
Scottish employment in fishing is approximately 8200 which
is 0.4 % of the available workforce. Of the 1647 vessels
based in the H&I, 88% are below 15m overall length and
73% are below 10m overall length. Many of these vessels are
restricted to operation in inshore waters. Of the 162,000
tonnes landed into H&I ports in 1997, 32,000 tonnes
were shellfish landings valued at £53M. The bulk of
pelagic landings arrived at Shetland and Ullapool, (52,000
tonnes of a total 58,000). These landings were made by
Shetland and North East fishermen based outside the
highlands. Pelagic landings valued £11M. Of the
72,000 tonnes of demersal landings the bulk arrived at Wick,
Shetland, Kinlochbervie, Lochinver, Ullapool and Mallaig
(70,000 tonnes). Once again, these landings were largely by
fishermen resident outside the Highlands. Demersal
landings in 1997 valued £63M. The main point to be
drawn from these statistics is that the resident highland
fleet is almost entirely dependant on shellfish which
are taken from inshore areas. Of shellfish, the vital
species is nephrops, landings of which which valued
£23M in 1997. Scallop landings valued £11M.
Other important species were, edible crab, velvet crab,
lobsters, whelks and winkles mainly making up the
balance in value terms.
2.8 Policing of Scottish
fisheries is undertaken on behalf of the Government, and
ultimately the EU, by The Scottish Fisheries Protection
Agency (SFPA). This agency is responsible for ensuring that
UK and EU enforcement policy is carried out satisfactorily.
The EU also employ enforcement officers who police the
application of EU fishery conservation measures on behalf of
the Commission. Within the inshore fishery area anecdotal
evidence suggests that very little policing by SFPA takes
place. This obviously leads to infringement of
conservation measures and breeds a degree of conflict within
the sector as well as a feeling that inshore fisheries do
not matter in the grand scale of things.
3.0 MAIN ISSUES EFFECTING
SUSTAINABILITY OF INSHORE FISHERY
3.1 There are a number of
issues that prohibit effective management of the inshore
fishery. Those not dealt with below include, an
increasingly ageing fleet and resultant
inefficiency, low prices (due to exchange rates) in
some fisheries and a resultant lack of funds within the
sector for reinvestment. The high cost of licenses means
there is very little opportunity for new blood to enter
the industry (all sectors) and very few alternative
species exist that are currently commercially viable.
Most of these issues are difficult to deal with as a local
authority because the answers are considered to lie mainly
in the CFP and the application of measures by the Member
State. While local authorities can lobby government on
behalf of their fishermen it is difficult to become directly
involved with any great success. Lack of viable alternative
species depends on physical/biological environmental
conditions and on market conditions. The latter is highly
responsive to tradition and it would be very difficult to
develop markets for some of the more obscure species for
which small markets do not already exist. Within the inshore
fisheries of the Highlands (mainly for shellfish) the broad
problem issues which the Highland Council has been actively
involved in addressing (in partnership with the industry)
can be considered under three main headings;
- Sustainability
- Conservation
- Enhancement
3.2
Sustainability
A fishery can only be sustainable
if it is managed in such a way so as to ensure that annual
recruitment can maintain stocks at a level which allows the
fishery to continue year on year economically, and
supporting dependant communities. The thrust of the Highland
Council's work in inshore fisheries is based on it's belief
that before management systems can truly begin to address
the sustainability issue they have to be developed in
partnership with those prosecuting the fishery. Survey work
undertaken by the Council has clearly shown that one of the
main requirements of inshore fishermen in the area is to
have more input and responsibility for management measures
put in place. Highland fisheries must increasingly be
managed by those with the greatest stake in them (fishing
communities), for their benefit. In the Highlands, inshore
fishermen have little stake in the fishery, other than the
vessel they own and their fishing license. The fishery is
basically a "free for all" provided that those entering the
fishery are licensed. No restrictive licensing system
operates within the shellfish fishery other than for
nephrops which is managed as a European stock (being subject
to quota and minimum landing size restrictions). As
mentioned earlier, proposals for a restrictive scallop
license within the over 10m sector are currently on the
table. The basic result for sustainable management is that
each fisherman catches as much as he can as quickly as he
can. Highland fishermen are effectively in direct
competition with their neighbours rather than managing the
fishery with them. Of course an element of competition will
always exist and is probably beneficial, but fierce
competition can lead to irresponsible fishing and over
fishing with the obvious price, wastefulness and quality
problems that can result. The Highland Council considers
that in addressing sustainability in it's fisheries, much
more of a stake must be given to those prosecuting it and
they must be made much more responsible for management
measures applied in the fishery.
In pursuing this line, the Council
has been promoting a system of Regulating Orders (ROs)
within the Highlands. Legislation governing the application
of ROs is already in place but has not been utilised in
Scottish fisheries as yet. ROs are granted under the Sea
Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967 and have operated in England
and Wales for around twenty years. These Orders basically
transfer the right to regulate shellfisheries to
groups legally established for the purpose. Proposals thus
far consider that 60% of any such group should come from
fishing communities and fishing interests. The remainder
being made up of scientists, conservationists, local
politicians and other community leaders. The body granted
regulatory powers is responsible for raising funds (via a
levy system) required to ensure adequate regulation of the
fishery, including enforcement, and may issue permits to
fishermen within the regulated area giving them the right to
fish within the fishery. Those fishermen fishing within the
regulated fishery (whose representatives make up the
majority of the regulating body) have the benefit of
protection afforded by the regulating body via restricted
access, application of agreed conservation measures,
self policing and enhancement programmes. Orders
are granted by the Secretary of State for Scotland for the
purpose of creating or enhancing a fishery. All monies
raised through the operation of an Order must be reinvested
in the fishery. The Highland Council and other public sector
bodies, the Scottish Office and the EU (via structural
funds) would be willing to fund the establishment of such
orders.
3.3 Conservation
Conservation measures operating
within the shellfish fisheries around the Highlands are
almost non existent when compared to those in place around
in, for example the New Brunswick (NB) lobster fishery.
Lobster conservation measures in place around the Highlands
are those imposed by Scottish Office (on behalf of the EU)
and consist only of a minimum landing size (set at 95mm
carapace length) over and above the need to be licensed,
which is a general requirement of all commercial fishermen.
Similar measures operate in other shellfish fisheries for
crab, scallops etc while for other species, no technical
conservation measures exist at all. Returning to the NB
lobster fishery as a comparison, in Scotland there are no
restrictions on landing berried lobsters, no mandatory
escape panels, no trap limits, no trap numbering system, no
logbook requirements, no closed season and the list goes on.
This despite the fact that in areas of our fishery, there
are a number of fishermen's groups working alone and
unprotected by statute, applying their own lobster
conservation measures, for instance,"V" notching, returning
lobsters over a maximum size, returning berried hens and
lobsters "caught out of season". These type of measures need
to be applied evenly and with the protection of statute.
Under The Inshore Fishing
(Scotland) Act, the, Prohibition of Fishing and Fishing
Methods Order, 1984 applies measures designed to conserve
stocks and limit gear conflict within the fishery. Measures
usually take the form of seasonal closures in small areas
(often imposed to protect whitefish nursery areas) and gear
restrictions in small areas and at certain times of the year
(to protect juvenile whitefish and limit gear conflict).
Vessel length restrictions are also in place in one or two
small areas and only occasionally are shellfish species
specifically protected, again in small areas for short
periods. The measures in place are generally considered
outdated and in place for the wrong reasons. Much conflict
with the fishing industry is generated as no monitoring of
the "benefits" of closed areas is undertaken and it is
generally thought that most commercial whitefish species are
driven to near extinction within inshore waters and that
spawning now takes place in areas further off shore. In
short the measures currently in place under the
"Prohibitions Order" are mostly adhered to but disrespected.
They are opposed at every opportunity as useless measure
merely imposed, and not based on fishery needs.
Once again Regulating Orders are
considered to offer a solution to some of the problems which
exist in shellfish management. The regulating body
(consisting mainly of fishing community representatives) is
empowered to prepare and apply conservation measures
suited to the fishery generally and the stock
specifically. Measures would be worked up based on an
intimate knowledge of the fishery, in partnership with
government fishery scientists, much in the way lobster
management measures are prepared and applied in the NB
lobster fishery.
3.4 Enhancement
No fishery enhancement work is
undertaken in Scottish waters at present other than on an
experimental basis. However, similar work is at a much more
advanced stage and enhancement of some species already takes
place (lobster, mussels scallops) in England, where
Regulating Orders already operate. Technology is developing
and it is now possible to culture juveniles of the more
important species like lobsters, crawfish, and scallops. Due
to the sedentary nature of shellfish, Regulating Orders as
shellfish management tools provide the opportunity not only
to more effectively manage inshore fisheries, but
also to enhance them, for some species. Restricted
access to regulated fisheries affords the protection needed
by groups undertaking enhancement projects. Because of it's
fund raising powers, the regulating body can budget for
enhancement work in agreement with it's
members
The Highland Council considers
that conservation and enhancement, in partnership with
fishery dependant communities, together constitute the means
to achieving sustainability in it's inshore fisheries.
4.0 CONCLUSION
4.1 Inshore fisheries in the
Highlands occupy the band measured 6 miles from baselines.
The fleet based there is characterised by small (under 10m)
vessels that depend entirely on waters immediately adjacent
to the coast. Fishing mainly for shellfish, they have little
ability to operate nomadically (as larger vessels of the
fleet do) and very few alternative employment opportunities
exist within their home communities.
4.2 Shellfish landing are
the mainstay of the highland fleet the most important
species being nephrops, scallops and the edible crab. Other
important species include velvet crab lobster whelks and
winkles. Shellfish landings valued at £53M were made in
the Highlands and Islands during 1997. Most demersal and
pelagic landings are by fishermen resident outside the
Highlands.
4.2 Sustainable management
of inshore fisheries is considered vital for the continued,
long-term viability of dependant coastal communities.
Although all fisheries within the European Union are subject
to the requirements of the Common Fisheries Policy, local
authorities (The Highland Council) have the greatest
opportunity to influence the operation of inshore fisheries.
Existing management measures applied to inshore fisheries
are considered imposed and useless. Members of the industry
broadly consider that they no longer reflect the needs of
the fishery. There is general agreement among fishing
community members that conservation measures need to be
significantly enhanced if fisheries are to survive. The
general free for all nature of inshore shellfisheries needs
to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Fishing communities
want more involvement in the development of and greater
responsibility for applied management measures.
4.3 While a number of issues
play an important role in determining viable long-term
management systems for inshore fisheries in the Highlands,
the broad issues that influence the development of
management proposals are, sustainability, conservation and
enhancement. The Council has carried out industry surveys
and as a result has been promoting the application of
Regulating Orders in inshore fisheries as a means of
addressing these issues, in close partnership with the
fishing industry. Regulating Orders provide the means to
adopting a partnership approach to inshore
management, to the application of conservation measure and
to enhancement projects, all based on the intimate
knowledge of the fishery held by fishing communities.
Equally, they provide the opportunity to increase the stake
held in the fishery by those dependant on it. This they do
by restricting entry to the fishery to those that manage
/enhance it, with important additional outcomes in improved
efficiency and quality of production from the
fishery.
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