Government “quite happy to see all fishing stopped”

​The Gazette reported last week that NatureScot – the government’s environment agency – has prepared a briefing paper on proposed restrictions for Inshore Marine Protected Areas in Scotland, which caused alarm when viewed by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Primary Industries Working Group.

It sparked fears that the new proposals will amount to a “rebranding” of the previous Highly Protected Marine Areas, which were dropped by the Scottish Government after a fierce backlash in island and coastal communities.

Now those working in the fishing industry believe the battle will have to be fought all over again.

Hector Stewart, owner of Kallin Shellfish in Grimsay, North Uist, said: “It hasn’t really gone away.

“The whole target is areas within the Outer Hebrides and I think that they would just be quite happy to see all fishing activity stopped and all potential fishing activity in the future stopped as well, because when these things come in, they are very unlikely to be reversed.

“They backed down from the HPMAs at the time but nobody really believed them. We foresaw that this would continue to be on the agenda”.

He said that as well as consequences for the fishing industry as it currently exists, new restrictions – or “management measures” – would have the effect of deterring anyone from entering the industry in the future.

Mr Stewart said it was natural for the industry to be cyclical. There were times when people would “want to come into the industry and times when they don’t”, but imposition of further regulations and restrictions would prevent that cycle from turning, regardless of whether there were fish in the sea.

He said: “If there is no possibility of being able to fish for any species or for quite a lot of species in a large number of areas, you’re never going to get that happening in the future. I’m 68 and we’ve been all our lives at it – but I can’t see young people coming into the industry, even if they would like to, if there is so much uncertainty.

“I don’t think that the fishing economy in the Western Isles is valued by the government. People have to be strongly opposed to these things but it’s very, very wearing to have to be fighting consultations all the time”.

He said the fishing industry felt it was “not valued” and the onus was now on government to show otherwise. “Let’s see,” he said.

Donald MacLean, managing director of Barratlantic, stood alongside Hector Stewart in his views. “We’re on the same page as him,” he said.

The Scottish Government said: “The proposals are part of an ongoing programme of work to implement fisheries management measures in existing Marine Protection Areas where they are yet to be introduced and to protect some of the most vulnerable Priority Marine Features outside of MPAs”.

A consultation paper is expected later this year.