This is one of the subjects that will be discussed at Coastal Futures 2020

The lack of official movement on attempts to re-impose a 3  mile limit on inshore trawling continue to draw attraction. Innovations in vessel tracking and ‘citizen’ monitoring of fishing highlight the issues. This subject was recently the subject of a Channel 4 investigation.

https://www.channel4.com/news/the-illegal-industrial-fishing-damaging-scotlands-great-barrier-reef

Open Seas Scotland  Highlighting the challenges of monitoring fishing inshore in Scotland

‘It has been almost a year since we reported illegal damage caused to the seabed in Gairloch – a small part of our inshore sea that has been given legal protection for over a century. Unfortunately, the law only provides protection in principle, and there have been a number of reports of illegal damage to protected areas around Scotland in this year (such as north west Jura, Sound of Mull, Summer Isles). The Scottish Government response has sometimes been unclear; often the only information in the public domain is that which has been reported in the press.  Enforcement activity is the job for Scotland’s Fisheries Officers, but here we want to share and explain the evidence we have, set out our view of what we think the problem is, and allow you to consider the issue yourself.  We want to highlight the damage being caused and what it means for your seas, Scotland’s seafood and the communities that rely on it.

Members of the public have often contacted Open Seas with reports of illegal fishing.’

BBC ‘Creel fishermen say they are frustrated at slow progress over proposals for a major industry overhaul.  The Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation (SCFF) commissioned a report into the potential benefits of banning trawlers from inshore waters. Its findings suggested 400 new boats could join the fleet if a ban covered the first three miles from the shore. The Scottish government says pilot projects are planned, as well as more research to guide fishing policy.  It also says it does want to develop the inshore fishery.

The SCFF says “little progress” has been made since the report was presented to ministers in May 2017. Alistair Sinclair from the SCFF said: “Time is of the essence if we are trying to protect the marine environment and the fishermen that make their living from the inshore waters. “Time is a thing that slips and slips and slips whenever you are negotiating with Marine Scotland. There’s always a reason there’s a delay and another delay. “We’ve attended so many meetings now with no outcome, no reasonable or meaningful outcome, that our frustrations have taken us to the end of the road.” “Any measure that trawls the bottom of the seabed obviously has a damaging impact which will affect all stocks, not just shellfish.”  Click here to read more