EU ban 'will harm Scottish fishing' says MEP

Yesterday's vote in the European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI) to ban deep water trawling would 'seriously harm the Scottish fishing industry' says MEP Struan Stevenson.

The ban is designed to ban deep water trawling at depths below 200 metres and MEP Stevenson said he was 'astonished' at the vote.

"I am astonished that the Environment Committee yesterday voted in favour of a proposal to ban deep water trawling at depths below 200 metres, something that goes way beyond the proposal from the European Commission" he said, speaking in Brussels following the tense and lengthy debate."

The European Commission proposed stricter licensing for deep-sea fishing in July 2012.

"Although the Committee's opinion is only consultative and carries no legislative weight, it clearly demonstrates that the decision was taken from a position of ignorance of the true facts and the socio-economic impacts that such a ban would have."

Scottish vessels in particular fish on the slope of the Continental Shelf down to depths of 900 metres, catching whitefish like megrim, pollock and monkfish.

"This significant fishery would be seriously impacted by any proposed deep water ban. It is a ludicrous idea to suggest to Scottish fisherman in Fraserburgh, Peterhead or Kinlochbervie that they should attempt to catch monkfish at 900 metres with longlines."

"While I recognise the need to look at a new management regime that provides full protection to the endangered deep water, slow-maturing species, a one-size-fits-all ban not only flies in the face of the spirit of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, but would only represent the thin end of the wedge. Would the well-funded ‘green’ lobby push for a total ban on shallow water trawling next? There is no way I am prepared to go down that path."

The Fisheries Committee will hold an additional hearing on this issue on Monday 17th June in Brussels, where scientists and stakeholders will give a clear view.