Dr Steven Mackinson, the Chief Scientific Officer of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA), says the collaborative approach now adopted between the pelagic industry and science bodies on data collection represents a major sea-change in fisheries management that sets the standard for others to follow.
Since 2021, Scottish pelagic fishermen have adopted a new hands-on role in collecting data, the information from which is used by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to make yearly assessments of the status of these fish stocks. These assessments are then used to make management decisions, including fishing quotas for the following year.
This innovative collaboration was developed by the SPFA, Shetland UHI and the Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government.