The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
‘Hoovering up’ of Scottish sand eels affecting seabirds
Danish and Swedish boats could be stopped from “industrial” sand eel fishing off the Scottish coast under new Holyrood measures.
Rural Affairs Secretary and Angus MSP Mairi Gougeon has told her civil service team to draw up “management measures” amid growing concerns.
She wants to tackle the sand eel fishing problem because of the effect it has on vulnerable seabird populations.
Ms Gougeon said she had told her officials to consider it a “matter of urgency”.
The RSPB has warned fishing pressure is helping to drive seabird populations to “breaking point” in the area around the Forth and Tay, including kittiwakes, puffins and gannets.
A Pittenweem-based fisherman drew attention to Swedish and Danish boats operating in the seas close to the Forth over the previous weeks.
Responding to a question in Holyrood last week, Ms Gougeon said: “It remains an overarching and longheld Scottish Government position not to support fishing for sand eel or other industrial species in our waters.
“The issue is the wider ecosystem. That is why I have committed to looking at the issue as a matter of urgency.”
The Swedish and Danish boats were described as “hoovering up” the small fish. Buyers then process the sand eels into pig food.
Alex Kinninmonth, head of marine policy at the RSPB Scotland, said: “Every year industrial fishing fleets – mostly from Denmark – remove hundreds of thousands of tonnes of sand eels from the North Sea.
“This then makes it harder for seabirds to find enough of the small oily fish to feed their chicks.”
Alex, who was brought up in St Andrews, said populations had stabilised over the last decade. Huge risks remained, however.
He said the RSPB had been working to highlight the issue, which has affected seabird populations for decades and the charity is calling for tougher controls on sand eel fishing.
The December 2020 trade and co-operation agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union entitles
EU vessels to fish in UK waters.
A 2021 bilateral agreement, which was finalised last week, sets a sand eel quota.
North East Fife Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie raised the matter with Ms Gougeon in parliament this week.
He welcomed the Scottish Government’s response, but said: “In the past month, more than 20 Swedish and Danish boats spent days off the Fife coast hoovering up tonnes of sand eels for pig meal.
“Local fishermen and RSPB Scotland are very concerned about the impact on seabirds. “We need action now.” The Swedish and Danish UK embassies have been approached for comment.