July 8, 2019 — Fishing skippers in Shetland are demanding urgent action on gill net and longline fishing by overseas vessels because of the amount of plastic debris they are leaving behind, according to the island’s fishing association.
A number of local boats have hauled up fine mesh twine in their own nets, and at least one had to sail for home for costly repairs after its propeller was fouled by longlines, said Shetland Fishermen — the collective term used for the Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) and the Shetland Fish Producers’ Organisation.
“The problem is being exacerbated by a lack of proper communication and often aggressive behaviour by the predominantly Spanish and French skippers.”
Many gill netters leave their nets in position when they steam south to Ullapool, Scotland, to land, denying access to local boats that have fished these waters for decades, the fishermen claim.
SFA executive officer Simon Collins said it was “particularly galling” for Shetland skippers to be forced off local fishing grounds by vessels that leave rubbish behind.