When the remit and responsibilities of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency were enlarged to include the monitoring of the haddock fish…

New enforcement obligations were introduced for EU Member States last year when the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) scheme of control and enforcement was implemented. The Scottish Executive gained new powers to appoint NEAFC inspectors to enforce regulations in the NEAFC zone. Last year the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency took part in patrols and inspections of vessels involved in the international Atlanto-Scandinavian herring fishery.Following the agreement achieved at a NEAFC meeting earlier this year, an area of the NEAFC zone around Rockall was closed to protect haddock. Haddock has thus become a regulated NEAFC resource. SFPA vessels have been carrying out patrols and inspections around Rockall this spring. This represents the Scottish contribution to meeting member states' enforcement obligations on the high seas. Other member states are enforcing regulations in the Atlanto-Scandinavian herring fishery