Effective closure of west coast whitefish fleet must be tackled - McArthur

4.21.44pm GMT Tue 20th Jan 2009

Liberal Democrat Fisheries spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has demanded that the Scottish Government does more to support Scotland's west coast fishermen.

Mr McArthur's comments come after measures to help Scottish fishermen through the current economic crisis were discussed at the Scottish Fisheries Council today (Tuesday).

Commenting, Mr McArthur said:

“Nothing that the Cabinet Secretary has announced today will address the needs of those fishermen now effectively excluded from West of Scotland waters.

“The deal struck in Brussels last month allowed ministers to congratulate themselves for having avoided complete closure of the west coast. But, the restrictions on the whitefish fleet are closure by any other name. As yet, no one has been able to explain how a 30 per cent catch ratio for cod, haddock and whiting can be made to work.

“The number of boats affected may be limited, but the impact on these fleets and the communities they serve will not be.

"Richard Lochhead needs to respond to calls for compensation and provide a genuine commitment to improving the scientific data for west coast stocks."