Greens hail progress in fishing monitoring
Scottish Greens have welcomed plans and a timetable to roll out Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) across the commercial fishing fleet.
In a statement to Parliament, Rural Economy Secretary Mairi Gougeon confirmed that larger offshore vessels will be the first to be fitted with the devices, followed by smaller vessels next year. The rules will also apply to international vessels.
Commenting, Scottish Greens rural affairs spokesperson Ariane Burgess said: “This is a long overdue and important milestone on the journey to more sustainable fisheries. Remote monitoring of fishing vessels has been a longstanding campaign for the Scottish Greens and is finally being delivered through the cooperation deal which brought Greens into government.
“Scotland’s fishing activity is diverse, which is why it’s right the approach is tailored. Right across the board, Remote Electronic Monitoring will deliver better accountability and confidence across Scotland’s fisheries, providing new opportunities for the sector to better steward the seas and ensure we have a sustainable fish stock for the future."