thread

NOT FISH AGAIN

1. The Government has to deliver on fisheries - it's the strongest weapon to hold the United Kingdom together.

The popularity of oily fish such as mackerel has increased demand & Scotland's waters are a rich source for mackerel fishing.

2. There are so many contradictory figures in terms of quotas & value, but to give a couple of examples:

In the space of 2 decades Iceland has increased its quota from 2,000 tons to 140,000 tons, not without criticism: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/21/iceland-accused-of-putting-mackerel-stocks-at-risk-by-increasing-its-catch

3. In 2010 a Faroese trawler was denied entry to Peterhead port when Scottish trawlers formed a blockade at the port's entrance. The Jupiter was carrying 1,100 tons of mackerel & the trawler's skipper stated the action had cost him £400,000.

4. A 'black fish' operation in the Shetland's involving mackerel & herring shows how lucrative the market is. Weighing apparatus was rigged to give a lower weight of the catches & the scam was valued at £47 million.

5. So I'm wary of anyone who says "But it's only worth..."

I suspect the true value of our fisheries is far higher than the 0.5 GDP figure often quoted & accepted without question.