|
177 Scottish skippers apply to quit fishing
24th April 2003
Scotsman.com
Scottish fishing industry crisis became deeper last night after it was revealed that the skippers of 177 vessels have applied to scrap their trawlers under the government’s £40 million decommissioning scheme.
Scottish fishing industry crisis became deeper last night after it was revealed that the skippers of 177 vessels - almost one-third of the boat owners who were eligible - have applied to scrap their trawlers under the government’s £40 million decommissioning scheme.
There are now growing fears that a majority of the applications will have come from the skippers of the 186 vessels which remain in Scotland’s dedicated white fish fleet, and that at least half the fleet could be wiped out as a result, placing the entire white fish industry at risk.
Without enough dedicated white fish trawlers to guarantee a continuity of supply, the entire sector could collapse, with processing plants, net manufacturers, ships’ chandlers and vessel repair yards being forced to close.
The scheme had been open to skippers of an estimated 560 vessels which catch white fish as part of their regular fishing effort. The total includes the 186 trawlers left in Scotland’s dedicated white fish fleet.
Top
|
