Use of quota to incentivise low impact fishing 2023: report
A report setting out how allocation of fishing quota to Scotland's sectoral and non-sector fishing fleet segments has incentivised the use of fishing techniques associated with a reduced environmental impact for the year 2023.
5. Conclusion
Quota stocks are allocated to Scotland’s fleet according to a variety of criteria set out in the Scottish Quota Management Rules. There are differences in the gear used and species targeted by different segments of the Scottish fishing fleet.
70% of allocated quota were pelagic species, and the largest single species allocation is mackerel. Scotland’s sectoral fleet consists of technologically sophisticated vessels that employ midwater trawls to target pelagic stocks. By its nature, this method has no impact on the seabed and results in low bycatch levels.
Scotland’s inshore 10 metre and under fleet made full use of Special Allocations of North Sea cod and mackerel, as a result of the gear configuration and organisation of this fleet segment in Shetland. This was a direct result of incentivisation in the Scottish Quota Management Rules.
Other parts of the non-sector fleet remained focused on catching non-quota species and did not make full use of the Special Allocations provided.
A consultation was held in 2023 on options for allocation of AQ, which has subsequently resulted in reserving West of Scotland cod AQ for applications on environmental grounds.