Following concerns about the state of cod, haddock and whiting stocks on the West of Scotland, the European Commission and Scottish Government agreed to adopt a number of changes to gear and catch composition requirements have been implemented in 2009 in the area East of the French Line in ICES division VIa. These include:
1. Gear requirements:
- The minimum mesh size in the cod-end or extension piece has increased from 70mm to 80mm.
- Vessels targeting whitefish that are 15m or below must use at least 110mm gear, whilst those that are above 15m must use at least 120mm gear.
- Vessels targeting whitefish must also have a 3m long Square Mesh Panel (SMP) fitted 12-15m from the codline. The mesh 110mm or 120mm dependant on whether the vessel is below or above 15m respectively.
2. Catch-composition requirements:
- For vessels targeting Nephrops (also known as Norway lobster, langoustine and prawns), the catch must contain at least 30% Nephrops and no more than 10% combined of cod, haddock and whiting.
- For vessels targeting whitefish, the catch must contain no more than 30% combined cod, haddock and whiting.
A West of Scotland Task Force, whose membership includes policy officials, industry representatives and net suppliers, was created in January 2009. The group was tasked with considering the implications of the management measures for the West of Scotland fishery and coastal communities, including the most appropriate way to take things forward.
One of the West of Scotland Task Force's recommendations was for a joint science forum to be established to share expertise relevant to the state of the West of Scotland fish stocks, and improve scientific knowledge. Members of the science forum include skippers, industry representatives, scientists and representatives from environmental organisations. The forum have been allocated £200,000 to improve existing surveys and scientific knowledge.