New Economics Foundation – Chris Williams highlights the opportunities for the scampi fishery in a major report. See the report and commentary below

Chris Williams, NEF: ‘As the SNP form a new administration in Scotland, there’s a major opportunity to shake up the management of Scotland’s inshore fishing industry. With fisheries management already on the menu as debate swirls around the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, the new Scottish Fisheries Minister, Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing, could make his mark by achieving better value for Scotland in the prized Scottish Langoustine, or prawn, fishery.

Langoustine (Nephrops norvegicus – a small lobster known by Scottish fishermen as prawns) is one of the most valuable fisheries for the Scottish economy, with a landed value of £75 million in 2014, the second most valuable stock overall to the Scottish fleet. Last year I wrote about the ongoing ‘prawn wars’ in Scotland’s inshore waters as different fishing types try to access the price resource.

There are two main fishing gears that target Nephrops: one is mobile (trawling) and the other is static (creels). The vast majority – over 70% – of the fishing vessels targeting Nephrops are small scale creelers under 10 metres in length. Despite their greater vessel numbers, creelers produce only 15% of the Nephrops as trawlers fish most inshore and offshore waters and harvest larger quantities per vessel.

The report is available for download here

The supporting blog is on the NEF website here: http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/entry/an-opportunity-for-the-new-scottish-fisheries-minister