Written Question · S3W-07623 · Session 3
What quantities of fish have been discarded annually since 2003 by the small mesh nephrops trawl fishery in the Clyde area and of what spec…
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive what quantities of fish have been discarded annually since 2003 by the small mesh nephrops trawl fishery in the Clyde area and of what species the bulk of these discards were composed.
The answer
The Scottish Government is notin a position to quantify with any certainty the overall amount of fish discardedannually in the Clyde by the small mesh Nephrops fishery. Discarded fish includesmall and unwanted commercial species, but also species which have no commercialvalue which are also taken by fishing gears.
Fisheries Research Services (FRS)runs an observer programme which is directed at estimating the discarded componentof the main commercial species. That observer programme suggests that quantitiesof landings and discards of cod made by smaller meshed vessels are small in AreaVIa particularly in the Clyde. The Clyde Cod closure which has run from 14 Januaryto 30 April in the first quarter of the year is considered to be effective in protectingcod at a time when they are aggregating to spawn. The observer programme also suggeststhat landings of haddock and whiting in the Clyde are also small, but discards ofhaddock and whiting are markedly higher than discards of cod and may be of the orderof several hundred tonnes per year. The Scottish Government intends to work withthe fishing industry and others to implement measures, in particular under the ConservationCredits scheme, to reduce such discards.
Fisheries Research Services (FRS)runs an observer programme which is directed at estimating the discarded componentof the main commercial species. That observer programme suggests that quantitiesof landings and discards of cod made by smaller meshed vessels are small in AreaVIa particularly in the Clyde. The Clyde Cod closure which has run from 14 Januaryto 30 April in the first quarter of the year is considered to be effective in protectingcod at a time when they are aggregating to spawn. The observer programme also suggeststhat landings of haddock and whiting in the Clyde are also small, but discards ofhaddock and whiting are markedly higher than discards of cod and may be of the orderof several hundred tonnes per year. The Scottish Government intends to work withthe fishing industry and others to implement measures, in particular under the ConservationCredits scheme, to reduce such discards.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S3W-07623 by reference.