EnezGreen

Visit islands and green your mind!

Scotland

Scottland : an innovative proposal to revive the Firth of Clyde’s fishery

Gairloch Scotland @ Laetitia Scuiller EnezGreen
Gairloch Scotland @ Laetitia Scuiller EnezGreen

The sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust has lodged an innovative proposal with the Scottish Government which aims to revive the Firth of Clyde’s fishery, by creating further zones in which bottom trawling would be prohibited. These new protected areas would help the return to richer and diversified fishery resources, as long as they are managed by local fishermen.

The proposal could bring over 100 new jobs to the Clyde’s commercial fishing sector

The proposal aims to improve the Firth’s existing shellfish fishery and bring back its former fin-fish fishery through the creation of zones around the 3.600 km2 Firth, in addition to the nature conservation-oriented Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), where commercial fish species could breed and then ‘spill over’ into the fishing grounds.

The current over-dependence on prawns and scallops is bad for economic and environmental security

According to Charles Millar, Director of Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT): “The Clyde once hosted a rich mixed fishery for cod, whiting, herring and many other species. Those days have gone, and now over 99% of landings from the Firth are shellfish. The current over-dependence on prawns and scallops is bad for economic and environmental security, both of which leave local communities exposed. Our proposal is the only way to help the shellfishery whilst also bringing back commercial stocks of fin-fish. It is 21st century fishery management. It brings in spatial management, devolves control to local people and addresses long-standing challenges like gear conflict between different sectors of the fishery.