Future Fisheries Alliance response to Marine Scotland’s consultation on the Future Catching Policy

This response of the Future Fisheries Alliance (FFA), a coalition of WWF, RSPB and Marine Conservation Society, to Marine Scotland’s consultation on the Future Catching Policy was endorsed by ClientEarth. Since the UK has left the EU, its devolved administrations, including Scotland is currently developing its own Future Catching Policy, and consulting on its proposed approach. In this consultation response we jointly emphasise that the success of the new catching policy will depend on the successful deployment of REM with cameras, to ensure that all catches are properly monitored and accounted for. This is particularly crucial if exemptions from the current landing obligation are to be continued or in any way expanded, in which case sufficiently large deductions need to be applied to TACs, to ensure that continued discarding does not lead to unsustainable fishing levels.