(Image: Ben Birchall/PA)
Fisherman in Shetland have called for urgent government action after more than 12% of the UK's entire quota for saithe was caught by a Norwegian ship in one day.
The trawler Havstrand landed a reported 787 tonnes of the fish at Ålesund on August 17, with the fish caught off the coast of Shetland.
While there is nothing illegal about that - both countries are permitted to catch up to 30,000 tonnes of whitefish in the other's waters - the Shetland Fisherman's Association told Shetnews that it illustrated an imbalance.
Scottish fishermen have had their quota for the species cut by 25% this year, with a further 20% proposed for next year, and in 2025 Norwegian vessels caught 22,581 tonnes of whitefish in UK waters, compared with just 9,496 tonnes caught by UK vessels in Norwegian waters.
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SFA executive officer Daniel Lawson said: “These figures should be a wake-up call for both the UK and Scottish governments.
"At a time when our own fishermen are being asked to accept substantial quota reductions to protect fish stocks, enormous Norwegian freezer trawlers are being allowed to catch vast quantities of the same fish in the waters around Shetland.
One Norwegian vessel has landed more than half Shetland’s entire annual saithe quota in a single trip.
“That ought to make everyone stop and question whether the present arrangements are serving the interests of Scotland’s fishing industry and coastal communities.
“Nobody is suggesting that the Norwegian vessels are breaking the rules. They are operating legally under agreements made by our own government.
“The question is whether those agreements are fair, sustainable or remotely in the interests of our fishing communities.”
The SFA said that local vessels sized at a maximum of around 28 metres were disadvantaged against Norwegian freezer trawlers that could be as much as 80 metres in length.
However, speaking to KytstogFjord, the owner of the Havstrand rejected any criticism, and said the actual number landed had been 606 tonnes.
Janne Grethe Strand Aasnæs said: "I have no comment beyond the fact that this is a quota Norway is entitled to fish.
"It is within the regulations and the share allocated to Norwegian vessels."
The managing director of Fiskebåt, the Norwegian fishing vessel owners' association Audun Maråk said: "I can understand the frustration if they believe they have been allocated too small a share of the total catch but that does not provide grounds for criticising Norwegian fishing activities.
"I really don’t understand why the size of the vessels should be grounds for criticism.
"We operate in accordance with the agreements concluded with the UK. Fisheries cooperation and the regulations that have been in place have remained stable.
“Norway and the UK are important allies when it comes to managing fish stocks, both in the whitefish and pelagic sectors.”