Question reference: S5W-30780
- Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 17 July 2020
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Current status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 July 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea advice that the Total Allowable Catch for North Sea cod should be set at no more than 14,755 tonnes.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to the sustainability of our seas, contributing to our communities’ economy and its environment. Last year North Sea Cod saw a 50% cut of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) agreed at EU-Norway Negotiations. The advice for 2020 recommends a further reduction of 16.5%.
Marine Scotland officials are working closely with industry and NGO stakeholders to develop co-management responses to these challenges. Marine Scotland is consulting with Scottish stakeholders to establish a National Cod Avoidance Plan and using the best science available to recover this key stock. Not only are we planning to do this for the remainder of the year but also as we move into 2021 as an independent coastal state.
During the summer, Marine Scotland officials will work closely with industry and environmental stakeholders to develop our negotiating priorities and positions for this year’s end year negotiations on fishing opportunities.
North Sea Cod is a complex picture and it is highly likely that there is more than one stock present. The advice, however, assesses the entire North Sea whilst the reality is that the stock in Scottish waters, the Northern part of the North sea, is significantly healthier than this general advice, whilst the stocks in the Southern part of the North sea may actually be worse. Marine Scotland Science is working on trying to better understand this dynamic and what it would mean if acknowledged and factored into the ICES model that delivers the advice. We expect first results of this science work before the end of this year.