SPFA welcomes agreement on UK-EU-Norway herring
Ian Gatt, chief executive of the SPFA, welcomed the agreement reached last week between the UK, EU and Norway on herring catches for 2022.
He said: “Although ICES advice allowed for a 45% increase in the TAC, limiting the increase to 20% is more precautionary given uncertainty in the scientific advice.
“The Association was never in favour of taking the full TAC increase and advocated capping this at 20%. 2022 will be pivotal year for herring management as the working group on herring is due to provide their recommendations in the early part of 2022.
“Following that parties will meet to begin discussions on a new management regime that will hopefully resolve management issues around intermixing of North Sea, 3a, and Western Baltic herring, and also fleet structures. Bycatches of herring in industrial fisheries and who pays for these quotas are also issues that need to be resolved.”
