SCOTLAND is to pioneer a unique fishery conservation scheme in which skippers will police themselves.

It will be the first country in Europe to use the new scheme, aimed at conserving North Sea cod stocks.

Skippers will sound the alarm when they discover stocks of small cod. And the affected areas will be covered by a voluntary fishing ban, which boats from other countries will be “encouraged” to comply with.

The scheme took effect yesterday and will complement rather than replace existing measures.

It was announced by fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead, who said: “The new Scottish government pledged at the outset a fresh start for Scotland’s fisheries. That means fresh thinking and taking the lead.”

The minister said the scheme would make a strong contribution to the recovery of cod stocks.

“Fishermen in Scotland are showing real leadership and are setting an example to the rest of Europe,” he said. “With information gained from this voluntary scheme and in discussions with other member states, Scotland can lead in developing a formal proposal for the European Commission.”

The scheme was welcomed by environmental campaigner WWF. Helen McLachlan, senior marine policy officer for WWF, said: “If implemented rigorously, this scheme could help population recovery by reducing the capture of juvenile cod.

“This should stand the UK in good stead to negotiate a system that will have the much-needed involvement of Norway and other EU member states who also impact on cod populations.”

Related topic

- «news.scotsman.com»
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=15

VICTORIA will be the first Australian state to enter the brave new world of “electronic conveyancing”, but not everyone is happy with the proposed online system for exchanging mortgage documents.

The Master Builders Association says the State Government is using the new system to increase conveyancing fees. This would further reduce housing affordability, as its building and construction members would pass the added costs to consumers.

According to an MBA submission, land transfer fees would remain the same for electronic conveyancing, but would rise by between 16 and 32 per cent for those who stick with paper.

MBA executive director Brian Welch said the Land Victoria increase was yet another weight on housing affordability.

“Those who stick with the paper trail system are going to be penalised,” he said.

“We support the initiative but it discriminates heavily against people who are not computer-based; who are not literate with these systems.

“The State Government finds taxation all too easy to increase and it impacts on housing once again.”

But a Land Victoria spokeswoman said electronic conveyancing would reduce the cost of home ownership in Victoria.

“It will save taxpayers about $70 million a year by 2012, when we expect the service to be well-patronised,” she said.

“E-conveyancing removes substantial amounts of red tape involving several parties for things such as paper-based title deed transfers and drawing of cheques.”

The spokeswoman said it was financial institutions and not individual land owners that generally completed the land transfer process, and that consumers would not wear the cost.

But MBA policy and communications manager Asher Judd said there was “no real reason for increasing the costs at all” and that banks and others involved in land transfers were bound to pass the costs to consumers.

“Another great example is the development contribution levy it was supposed to target builders, but they have got no choice but to increase their charges.”

Victoria, a trailblazer in e-conveyancing, is home to the National Electronic Conveyancing Office and will be the first state to use the system in November.

A nationwide system is expected to be in place by about 2010.

«www.necs.gov.au»

MACQUARIE Bank-owned Thames Water could be fined a record 12.5 million ($A28.8 million) by British industry regulator Ofwat for misreporting and poor customer service.

The water company faces an 11.1 million fine for misreporting regulatory information and a further 1.4 million fine for poor processes and systems that led to customers receiving unsatisfactory services.

Ofwat chief executive Regina Finn said: “Water is a monopoly business and until we see a competitive market developing, Ofwat must protect customers by regulating the companies’ prices and quality of service.

“To do this we need complete, accurate and reliable information. Misreporting of information damages our ability to regulate the industry and therefore to protect customers.”

The news is likely to be cheered by consumer groups, which have spent the past year attacking water companies for failing to meet leakage targets while making huge profits.

Water bills have increased by 7 per cent this year well in excess of inflation to take the average water and sewerage bill to 312 in England and Wales.

The proposed fine follows Ofwat’s investigation last year into Thames Water’s reporting of its customer service performance.

The regulator said that Thames acted responsibly by informing Ofwat of the misreporting, taking steps to investigate the situation, co-operating with the review and reimbursing customers the amount they should have received following the company’s poor service. Ofwat stressed that there was no evidence of fraud by Thames Water, Britain’s largest water company, and that the investigation did not find any evidence of deliberate misreporting.

A Macquarie spokeswoman said the reporting that caused the controversy had happened before the bank acquired Thames Water last year for 8 billion.

Thames Water said the proposed fine was “totally disproportionate”, and revealed plans to challenge it.

Ofwat said: “The proposed fine is appropriate given the seriousness of the misreporting and customer service failures by Thames, while also being fair and proportionate and taking account of the steps Thames has taken to remedy the situation.”

TELEGRAPH With MARC MONCRIEF