Press Releases
22-02-2010 : McARTHUR CALLS ON LOCHHEAD TO ACT ON NET GAUGE
Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, has written to the Fisheries Minister, Richard Lochhead, urging him to act on the growing worries about the reliability of the new Omega net mending gauge. He has asked the minister to raise the matter with the European Commission and to use the growing international disquiet about the gauge to get it withdrawn.
In his letter to the minister, Liam McArthur raises "the growing concern about the impact of the replacement of the traditional, simple and practical "wedge" net gauge with the new and expensive Omega net measuring gauge which I see is described in last week's Fishing News as "not fit for purpose".
Noting that the minister had strongly defended the change to the new gauge, Liam McArthur wrote "the growing concern in the industry, a concern which is not limited to the UK, means that the issue must be looked at again."
Arguing that the reports about concerns about the calibration of the new gauge kick the feet from under its main justification, which was that its use was free from human influence, Liam McArthur wrote, ""Scotland's fishermen need a reliable and affordable gauge. The "wedge" gauge does not suffer from calibration problems and it costs about a fortieth of the cost of the Omega gauge so fishermen can actually afford to have their own gauge. So the "wedge" gauge beats the Omega gauge hands down on both reliability and affordability."
Liam McArthur ended his letter urging the minister to take the issue up with the European Commission with a view to getting the Omega Gauge withdrawn while its shortcomings are investigated, allowing the tried and tested "wedge" gauge to be used once more. He argued that the Omega gauge should only be introduced again if its shortcomings can be addressed so that fishermen are convinced that it is reliable and its cost is substantially reduced. Even then, he argued that there should be a reasonable transition period so that fishermen are not again forced to discard expensive nets as happened when the Omega gauge was introduced.
Commenting on the issue, Liam McArthur said, "In the past, when the minister has been asked to stand up for Scotland's fishermen or farmers in Brussels, he has too often excused his failure by stating that he could not win the support of other Member States. This time, with the revolt against the gauge not restricted to Scotland or the UK, he should be able to build a coalition of Member States to bring about the changes our fishermen urgently need. That is what he must do, and do so at once."
Full text of letter to the minister:
You will be aware of the growing concern about the impact of the replacement of the traditional, simple and practical "wedge" net gauge with the new and expensive Omega net measuring gauge which I see is described in last week's Fishing News as "not fit for purpose".
I know that you have, in past, strongly defended the change to the new gauge, not least in answers to parliamentary questions I raised last year. But the growing concern in the industry, a concern which is not limited to the UK, means that the issue must be looked at again.
The main justification for the new gauge seemed to be that its use was free from human influence, but the reports about concerns about the calibration of the gauge kick the feet out from under that justification.
Scotland's fishermen need a reliable and affordable gauge. The "wedge" gauge does not suffer from calibration problems and it costs about a fortieth of the cost of the Omega gauge so fishermen can actually afford to have their own gauge. So the "wedge" gauge beats the Omega gauge hands down on both reliability and affordability.
As a bare minimum, I would urge you to take this up with the European Commission with a view to getting the Omega Gauge withdrawn while its shortcomings are investigated, allowing the tried and tested "wedge" gauge to be used once more. If the shortcomings of the Omega gauge can be addressed, so that the industry can be convinced that it is reliable, and if its cost can be substantially reduced, then consideration could be given to its reintroduction, but only with a reasonable transition period so that nets measured as legal with the "wedge" gauge can be used until they are worn out. Fishermen should not again be forced to discard expensive nets as happened when the Omega gauge was introduced.
I hope that you will treat this issue with the urgency it deserves and take it up with the Commission and with other Member States without delay.