Marine

Action on fishing gear conflict

November 18, 2013 by Marine Scotland Communications No Comments | Category Fisheries

A Scottish Government taskforce is being established to tackle deliberate acts of gear vandalism at sea and help resolve conflicts within the fishing industry.

Often the same sea area is shared between local and nomadic fishing operators as well as between trawlers and creelers in different parts of the country.

The Scottish Government is keen to help different kinds of fishing operations to co-exist harmoniously, recognising that in the vast majority of cases this happens and that competition between sectors is most often and best resolved locally without any need for formal intervention by public agencies.

However, occasionally issues may arise as a result of competition between operators. In addition to the taskforce, the Government will take the following steps to help reduce and resolve any potential tensions:

• Conduct a review of technology deployed to manage fisheries, and consider what changes can be made to improve management, and reduce the likelihood of any conflict occurring in the first place
• Undertake an assessment of inshore fisheries management arrangements and consider if these contribute to competition between different fishing gears and what measures can be taken to reduce risks of tensions arising
• Work with industry to explore options for establishing a gear interactions committee that encompasses the entire industry.

More information

• Read the Press Release

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