Photo: Stockfile/FIS

Scottish Fishermen Slam 'Headline-Grabbing' Mackerel Rating Downgrade

The Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association has sharply criticised the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) for its unwarranted downgrade of the north-east Atlantic Mackerel rating in the ‘Good Fish Guide’.

Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA), commented: “The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has a well-established reputation for ‘headline grabbing’ with its fish guide, and their latest pronouncement on north-east Atlantic mackerel is a prime example. After targeting brown crab last year and anglerfish the year prior, it appears mackerel was the predictable next victim of their sensationalist approach.

“We readily admit that overfishing is occurring due to the irresponsible actions of other coastal states setting unilateral quotas outside agreed international frameworks. However, the UK has responsibly adhered to its original mackerel allocation, without any increases, and has actively pursued measures to reduce fishing pressure, including recent agreements with Norway and the Faroes. The MCS’s downgrade of the mackerel assessment score completely disregards these crucial facts.

“The MCS has narrowly considered fishing pressure, completely ignoring the robust state of the north-east Atlantic mackerel stock, which currently exceeds the maximum sustainable yield reference point for responsible fishing. The stock, in other words, is in good health.

Photo: SPFA

“Moreover, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea is currently undertaking a major assessment revision of both Irish Sea herring and north-east Atlantic mackerel stocks. It would have demonstrated far greater responsibility for the MCS to have awaited the findings of this rigorous scientific process before publishing their own premature and poorly informed judgments. We explicitly advised the MCS to adopt this sensible course for both stocks. Their inconsistent approach – accepting this logic for Irish Sea herring by refraining from a downgrade, yet proceeding with the mackerel downgrade – strongly suggests that generating sensational headlines, rather than any objective assessment, is the primary motivation behind this decision.”

Source: CatchPR

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