Evidence gathering in support of sustainable Scottish inshore fisheries: work package (6) final report: integrating stock management considerations with market opportunities in the Scottish inshore fisheries sector – a pilot study

Abstract

In June 2014, Hambrey Consulting successfully responded to a call for tenders for research to undertake a pilot assessment of the potential economic and associated benefits of establishing minimum market landing size (MMLS) in excess of minimum legal landing size (MLS) for shellfish; and to evaluate if such an intervention could be undertaken at a regional level. The project was originally conceived as including 3 case studies, but the scope of the research led us to focus mainly on the trawl and creel fishery for Nephrops prosecuted by the fleet based in Skye and SW Ross. The basic framework for the assessment approach was to: Develop an economic profile of the case study area and its fishing fleet; Review and synthesise existing data on size profile of the catch, the factors that affect size, including costs associated with individual (vessel) actions or strategies to increase the size profile of the catch; Analyse market and market trends, and the prices for different sizes of product; Develop economic models of representative fishing enterprises, taking account of the relationships between costs and returns and the size profile of the catch; Use plausible scenarios to explore likely short term economic consequences of any changes in MMLS; Use yield and utility per recruit analysis to explore possible yield benefits associated with increased MMLS.