Contentious new fishing rules covering the Isle of Man (IOM) king scallop sector were scrapped less than two weeks after their introduction by the local government.
Vessels had been instructed to report all king scallop catches from the island’s waters to one of its ports for possible inspection of catches. The measure was introduced following concerns about the accuracy of catch reporting and the preservation of declining stocks.
After protests from the Scottish government, the Manx government said the rule would be lifted, but misreporting catches could lead to licenses being suspended.
Scottish Fisheries Secretary Fergus Ewing said the decision was "a relief” to many coastal communities, and that the new arrangements would help protect Scotland’s GBP 3 million (USD 4.1 million, EUR 3.4 million) scallop industry.
According to the IOM government, the king scallop industry is worth GBP 12 million (USD 16.6 million, EUR 13.5 million) to the island's economy.
In 2017, a series of catch limits were introduced to avoid unsustainable fishing effort in the Manx territorial waters, which extend 12 miles from the island's coast. These measures included an overnight fishing curfew, a 50 percent cut in licenses and the introduction of boat size restrictions.
