“Win for puffins” – Carmichael welcomes international court ruling on sandeel ban

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today welcomed news that a challenge to UK bans on commercial fishing for sandeels in the North Sea has been dismissed in court.

Judges at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) based in The Hague ruled last Friday that there is no legal obligation to reverse the order, after EU claims that the ban was “discriminatory and disproportionate”.

Sandeels are a major source of food for marine life including seabirds such as puffins, which live along the UK coastline. Two bans for English and Scottish waters were put in place in early 2024, following concerns that sandeel stocks were becoming too low.

Mr Carmichael said:

“This will be welcome news to fishing organisations which have been arguing and campaigning for the sandeel ban for many years, to protect the wider marine ecosystem. 

“The sandeel ban shows that the interests of fishermen and conservationists can absolutely be in harmony when a collaborative approach is taken – that is the model that our governments ought to take forward in future.

“The ruling is a win for puffins and other seabirds, and indeed for anyone who values a healthy marine ecosystem around our islands. Puffins are an icon of the Northern Isles – they must be properly protected.”