RELIEF FOR WEST COAST FISHERMEN

Jim Mather, MSP for Argyll & Bute, has welcomed the announcement that
dozens of Scottish prawn boats should soon be exempt from the Days at
Sea regime. Almost 70 West Coast fishing boats are set for a much-needed
boost after the European Commission accepted that they should be exempt
from these restrictions. Working closely with fishermen, the Scottish
Government has been fighting to have West Coast vessels that catch very
little or no cod exempted. If approved as anticipated at December
Council, this hoped for breakthrough means that 67 Scottish fishing
boats that fish for prawns in the Minch and the Clyde will no longer be
subjected to Days at Sea limits.

Jim Mather said.

"This is excellent news for West Coast prawn fishermen. Richard Lochhead
and his team have developed a tenacious but constructive approach to the
problems associated with EU fishing regulations and it is good to see
this success."

Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said:

"This has been a long drawn out process and we are therefore delighted
that our determined efforts appear to have paid off. I am sure that
other EU Member States will now agree to the exemption of many of our
West Coast prawn boats. We will work with the vessels involved to make
sure that they continue to catch less than 1.5 per cent cod.

"Working with the industry and our scientists we produced a sensible
case to get Scottish boats out of the regime where they clearly do not
impact upon cod. Hopes have been raised and then dashed before but,
through our efforts, we now expect Scotland to benefit from an exemption
already granted to other member States like Spain and Sweden.

"Of course our fight for a fair deal for Scotland's fishermen does not
stop here. While our valuable prawn fleets are no longer facing the
prospect of new draconian technical measures in 2010, and changes to
fishing gear that would have impacted on both viability and safety have
been averted, there is still much to do.

"We will continue to work hard to cut our fishermen some much-needed
slack. We are determined to fight for measures that will ensure
sustainable whitefish fleets and protect our valuable Nephrops
fisheries. Any solutions must fit with our circumstances, not the
convenience of Brussels."

Scottish Fishermen's Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong, said:

"This has been a long battle on a matter of very important principle -
vessels which don't catch cod should not be trapped inside regulation
which doesn't apply to them. The Scottish Government is to be
congratulated on its refusal to let this matter drop; persistent
detailed work over the course of the year in presenting the scientific
case has at last been acknowledged. The final regulation is to be signed
off in December and we must await the fine print, but I don't think the
Government could have tried harder once the problem was recognised."

Note for Editors
The Days at Sea regime exists as part of the EU's cod recovery plan,
which sets days at sea for fishing vessels that are involved in catching
cod in the waters around Scotland. There is also a provision in the EU
Regulation that allows for vessels or groups of vessels, which do not
impact on cod recovery and catch less than 1.5 per cent cod, to be
exempted completely from effort management i.e. Days at Sea limits.
Scotland made a submission earlier in the year to have 67 West of
Scotland prawn boats, that fish in the Minch and Eastern Firth of Clyde,
exempted under this part of the regulation. Scientific observation and
catch data had shown that these vessels caught significantly less than
1.5 per cent cod.

The Commission has today given the go ahead for a vote at December
Council to give the exemption of the Minch and Clyde prawn boats the
green light for formal exemption from days at sea. If successful the 67
Scottish prawn boats will be free from days at sea limits for as long as
scientific observers confirm that their catches continue to comprise
less than 1.5 per cent cod.

The EU cod recovery plan, agreed in 2008, includes targets to reduce
substantially cod mortality caused by fishing. To achieve this, the
European Commission proposed a 25 per cent reduction in days at sea for
Scottish fishing vessels. The Scottish Government was able to secure a
deal that allowed cuts in days at sea to be avoided if vessels adopted
new conservation measures. The Government has been working with the
industry to develop these, like the use of more selective fishing gears
that allow more fish to escape.