Spawning cod prompt fisheries closure

PART of the North Sea has been closed off to fishermen in a voluntary scheme to protect cod stocks, MSPs heard yesterday.

The three-week closure, affecting a 50-square mile area, was the first time the measure had been triggered since the strategy was agreed at EU fishing talks in December, fisheries minister Richard Lochhead told Holyrood.

Under the scheme, fishermen are being asked to sound the alarm if they encounter spawning cod, and a voluntary closure is immediately declared.

The minister told MSPs: "I am delighted to report today that the first real-time closure of a cod spawning ground was triggered at the weekend.

"This provides real, concrete evidence of the commitment Scotland is showing towards protecting North Sea cod stocks."