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Prawn Boats 'facing same crisis as white fish fleet'
THE HERALD
GRAEME SMITH
26th February 2003
FISHING leaders are proposing a voluntary regulation scheme to prevent the Scottish prawn industry facing the same crisis as the white fish fleet.
Measures are to be discussed next week at a meeting which has been called by the Scottish White Fish Producers' Association (SWFPA).
According to the association, high landings and low prices mean the situation with prawns is as bad, if not worse, than white fish and action has to be taken. It is proposing the introduction of a voluntary scheme to regulate supplies.
George MacRae, the SWFPA secretary, said that since the end of last year prices for haddock and prawns had been poor.
"It would be easy to think that with the restricted quota for haddock the price would have risen, but that is not the case and even imported fresh fish appears to be suffering the same fate. For example, last week in Peterhead 2000 boxes of Faroese fresh fish, of good quality, fetched £30 per box which might be expected to sell for twice or three times that price.
"That is certainly not reflected in supermarket prices so someone is making a fantastic mark-up."
He said it had been suggested that fish merchants had stocked up on white fish to prepare for the restrictions.
"Cold stores appear to be full and there is little demand for prawns - particularly the size of prawns currently being landed - and if that situation prevails for much longer then the prawn/nephrop fishery will collapse.
Some prawn landings have gone for rock bottom prices of £15 or £20 a box, a third of the normal price, and the solution is certainly not to go out, catch more, and heap even more unwanted prawns on to reluctant markets."
He said the fact that smaller prawns were now being landed was one of the first signs of the stock coming under pressure.
"Producer organisations, buyers and fishermen have the solution in their own hands," he said. "This is an issue of market forces and it is up to the industry to put its own house in order."
He said fishermen could establish a voluntary scheme involving larger mesh sizes, landing restrictions or a days-at-sea scheme.
He said there were some who would never be prepared to adhere to a voluntary scheme. Discussions with processors were needed over imports. If they increased in the present fragile state of the market, it would have serious consequences.
Mr MacRae was confident the problem could be resolved by common sense and reason.
A spokesman for Moray Seafoods of Buckie, a major prawn purchaser, said they were always keen to be involved in any initiative which might be to the benefit of the fishermen and the processors.
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