Photo: Ivan ReidAn emergency ban on fishing in a zone east of Fair Isle is due to close today (Monday). The Scottish government’s marine directorate introduced the real time closure (RTC) due to a “high abundance of cod having been detected through sampling”According to the North Sea cod avoidance plan, RTCs are introduced following inspections at sea if the amount of cod caught per hour exceeds a certain threshold. The aim of the plan is to to support recovery of the North Sea cod stock and to help the fishing industry manage its quota in line with the reduced quotas. The Northern Shelf cod quota for this year was reduced by 44 per cent, following negotiations by the UK, EU, and Norway. “This, we believe, would retain RTCs as a tool in the interest of protecting the cod stock, whilst also allowing legitimate and sustainable cod fishing to continue.”