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: What are the major issues you’ve had to deal with in 2012?
: The two main issues have been Days at Sea (DAS) and the Cod Recovery Plan (CRP), with 2011-12 seeing a 10 per cent reduction in DAS.
The prawn deal has also been a big consideration, due to the loss of the less than 5% facility, which provided a significant amount of additional effort. This shift led to the development of highly selective gears, a big challenge for the sector at a time when efficiency of opera- tion is essential.
In 2013 we need to provide more options and perhaps a different approach for the nephrops sector. This year has seen a huge emphasis on reducing cod capture whereas our focus before that was on reducing discards over a broad range of species.
Overall the move to more selective gears is worthwhile exercise, I suppose, but there have been mistakes, including the understanding that one size does not fit all – there are various sectors within the nephrops sector alone.
: We are currently drawing up a new approach which takes a fresh look at cod mortality and how we can continue to reduce it. One thing is sure; pressure continues to be ap-
INTERVIEWED BY ROB FLETCHER
Cod, monkfish,
whiting and haddock have all
showed particularly
positive trends
Almanac & Diary 15
The UK’s demersal fish landings went down by 5% in terms of quantity between 2010 and 2011