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SSMO - Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation


Baron Redsain
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Shellfish licencing is controled by "bureaucrats in Edinburgh or further south"

 

The original idea behind the SSMO was to prevent non-Shetland Boats fishing in Shetland Waters within 6 miles.

 

Now it seems to be a closed shop to the few who have a permit.

to Stop Shetland Fishermen from fishing their own waters is just wrong!

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Shellfish licencing is controled by "bureaucrats in Edinburgh or further south"

 

The original idea behind the SSMO was to prevent non-Shetland Boats fishing in Shetland Waters within 6 miles.

 

Now it seems to be a closed shop to the few who have a permit.

to Stop Shetland Fishermen from fishing their own waters is just wrong!

 

VCU allocation and transfer is controlled by Scotland. SSMO regulate the amount of fishing effort around Shetland.

You can have Cat A (shellfish) VCU's on any boat in the UK, but only those boats allocated an additional licence by the SSMO can creel or smash up the seabed for scallops around Shetland.

 

Proper SSMO info here:

 

http://www.ssmo.co.uk/page5.htm 

licenced.

 

It isn't about stopping Shetland boats from fishing, it's about ensuring that is isn't a free for all.

Edited by Scorrie
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It isn't about stopping Shetland boats from fishing, it's about ensuring that is isn't a free for all.

 

That was the theory, but it seems that in practice some involved in the Shetland industry feel that not only is it keeping out non-Shetland boats, its keeping out a number of Shetland boats as well, and they're also alleging that those running the SSMO are maybe bending the rules for their own benefit to everyone else's detriment.

 

I wouldn't know, as I have no involvement, but these same complaints about the SSMO keep on resurfacing again and again....People, in an apparent appreciable quantity don't seem to feel its living up to what it said on the tin.

 

Whether its sour grapes, or no smoke without fire, only those who are in it, have been in it, or have tried get in it can know what the facts are.

Edited by Ghostrider
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How do you 'rotate' permits amongst scallopers and creelers?

 

Do you honestly think  someone is going to invest tens, and possibly a hundred thousand plus pounds in a boat and VCU's just to sit idle whilst some one else who 'wants one' sails off with their permit?

 

The prices received for the effort put in for crab and scallops would make any full-time fisherman reach for a gun or apply for bankruptcy if they were put in this situation. The only way to make that work is the boats would have to massively increase their fishing effort, this means even more expense for the boats and would knacker local stocks and lead to no-one benefiting at all.

 

I cannot comment on any allegations of 'cronyism' as I have never dealt with SSMO direct, although I hear a fair bit and, TBH, some of it is certainly sour grapes. What I can comment on is how much effort the creelers have to put in to get the total landings that they have. I deal with some of these guys every day. And believe me, they graft bloody hard for what they land and the relatively small price they get for their landings. 

 

Any dilution of this income would literally mean the full-time guys jacking it in and losing their livelihoods just to mollify a few people - whose only way of being able to fish would be on a part-time/hobby basis. Not the way forward IMO.

Edited by Scorrie
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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry I have not got back to this sooner;

 

>>>>>>> How do you 'rotate' permits amongst scallopers and creelers?

 

How? Very Simple…

 

At this time a lot of permits have been held for 14 or 15 years, so take them away and give them to folk on the list.

Or every 5 years. Or yearly… The exact way would need to be worked out fairly for ALL concerned.

Don’t get me wrong this is not what I want to see, my point is, it is NOT right that only the ones who have a permit can continue to fish, whilst others are prevented.

“IF” it is all down to the fact that there is at this time the maximum amount of boats and effort, and there “really” is no way more effort can be made, then it is only right that this is shared amongst ALL local fishermen who want the chance.

 

 >>>>>>>>>Do you honestly think  someone is going to invest tens, and possibly a hundred thousand plus pounds in a boat and VCU's just to sit idle whilst some one else who 'wants one' sails off with their permit?

 

That’s looking at it from one angle, but what about the poor person who wants to fish but does not have a permit? Do you think its fair that he cannot get a permit, he would like to invest thousands as well, but is denied the chance.

For example, an Ex fisherman was facing redundancy recently and the obvious route for him to take was to go back to the fishing, but when he asked the SSMO for a permit he was refused.

That person was willing to invest as you say “tens, and possibly a hundred thousand plus pounds in a boat and VCU's” but he was denied that opportunity. Is that fair? Is that right?

I do not think so.

If anyone is going to as you say “reach for a gun or apply for bankruptcy” surely it is equally that poor person?  

Then you have the problem of the young people getting started in the industry? The way things stand there can be no young ones as there are no permits being issued, therefore there is NO future?

You talk about the people who have invested thousands. Yes some fishermen have invested everything to get their full-time business’s up and running. However, quite a large proportion of the current shellfish fleet has been built up over a number of years part-time, their vessels, equipment and gear have been improved and expanded on by re-investing the profits from their part-time fishing, they don’t need to draw down the money to live on as they have well paid “full-time” employment,

again don’t get me wrong I have no problem with that, but I do have a problem with other people being denied the same opportunity.  Whether that is full or part-time.

 

Maybe there is a need for some sort of regulating order, but its present format needs to be drastically altered.

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"That's looking at it from one angle"

 

 

 

Would you tell a builder to forget about the graft, money he's invested in plant and machinery and years building up a business because he has to 'move aside' to let someone else have a play at being a builder? FFS. I give up.

 

Go out on and speak to the boys who are creeling professionally (not someone who's chucking a few creels off a punt and who spends most of their time spouting pish at the village hall bar) and run your master plan past them. See what they say after they've finished either laughing or stuffing you in a creel as bait.......

Edited by Scorrie
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I'm not saying I don't appreciate the problem you're outlining, but on the other hand I'm struggling to see how the shellfish (wo)men's case is any more worthy than anyone else's. Surely this kind of thing happens in virtually all industries continuously, no?

 

Is it any more difficult than getting in to either the whitefish and pelagic sectors with all their quotas, days at sea and whatnot regulations, or getting in to agriculture with the establishment of eligibility of qualifying land and historic stock levels maintenance etc regs that follows that. Generally speaking almost all industries, one way or another, require being able to step in to dead (wo)men's boots to get in to.

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  • 11 months later...

Yes that's right ghostrider if your in your in and if your out don't ask for a licence application from cos there not giving any licences  out so the wife in the office says,she wont even give you a from to try now.

Its no wonder some of the fishermen is concerned with wots going on behind closed doors,around 25 fishermen held a meeting in the tingwall hall on the  03-10-15 and all voted 100% in favour for a no confidence  in the  chairman and his merry men,so I don't think its business as usual mr chairman, lets hope it gets a bloody good shake up because its needing it

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Worst thing seems to be that there have now been a good few boat sales where the SSMO entitlement is included and signed over gradually and also boats for sale 'with SSMO permit' on here.

It's been a good thing for keeping the large beamer-scallopers and vivier crabbers outside the 6 miles, but pretty poor when a young boy leaving the school is prohibited from entering the only available sector of the Shetland fishing industry they may get a realistic start made in, whilst permit holders at the same time, can replace boats time after time with ever more capable boats.

All stock assessments and guidance are carried out by a local body which is that good at figures, they were getting 7 figure bale outs from the SIC on an annual basis- probably some years more money than the entire shellfish fleet grossed!

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  • 1 month later...

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