Harris fishermen “shocked, enraged, fearful”

​Grant Fulton, who has worked for the European Commission on fisheries controls and surveillance, says island fishermen are “shocked, enraged and fearful” after attending briefings with Marine Scotland and NatureScot.

The commitment to designate at least ten per cent of Scotland’s waters as HPMAs formed part of the agreement between the SNP and Greens. The Western Isles Fishermen’s Association and processors have warned the plans would kill the islands’ fishing industry.

Mr Fulton describes them as “vague, woolly, amateurish and obviously written by someone sitting in a warm office in the Central Belt”. He warns: “Every static gear fisherman will be negatively impacted by this short-sighted imposition (which) will impact on the brown crab, velvet crab, lobster, scallop, pollock, wrasse fisheries etc”.

Mr Fulton writes: “Colleagues in Harris have invested hundreds of thousands into their businesses and support multiple families with fishing being their only source of income. The trickle down from these businesses is significant and are often the only businesses which support families for 12 months of the year.

“We do not even know which areas are being looked at. Marine Scotland insists on the fishing industry being transparent and fishers are subject to ever increasing regulations and monitoring.

“How can businesses plan their future if their fishing grounds are to be removed? There must be transparency and openness instead of this murky opaqueness”.

Mr Fulton states: “In Harris we have been successful in developing a Bluefin Tuna fishery, the only area in Scotland to be issued licences. This is currently a recreational but the ambition is to develop a small, artisanal commercial fishery. This will not be possible with HPMAs”.

Meanwhile, the Comhairle’s Primary Industries Working Group met on Wednesday to consider the proposals, along with with fisheries representatives. There was unanimous opposition against the proposals.

Speaking after the meeting the Chairman of the Working Group, Cllr Norman MacDonald said: “I have seldom attended a meeting where the frustration and anger of Comhairle Elected Members and industry representatives was so palpable.

"These HPMA proposals, if they proceed, will be devastating to the economy of the Outer Hebrides. HPMA’s will decimate the fisheries sector, will devastate some of our most peripheral communities and will lead to further depopulation from our islands.

“There appears to be a total disconnect between remote urban policy makers in Edinburgh and real people leading real lives in communities across the Outer Hebrides. It is clear, that Edinburgh-based Government Ministers and policy makers have no understanding of the devastating consequences these disgraceful HPMA proposals will have on the economy and community of the Outer Hebrides if they come to fruition. Even worse they do not seem to care.”

Mr MacDonald continued: “The Comhairle will now be responding robustly to these proposals, and we will be writing to Mairi McAllan MSP, Minister for Environment and Land Reform to intimate our implacable opposition and seeking assurance that HPMA’s will never be introduced in the Outer Hebrides. It is increasingly clear, that to protect our fishing industry and the jobs in that industry that the community of the Outer Hebrides must take control of our own fisheries.

"We need to remove the threat of HPMA’s and open discussions with Government around devolution of control of our fisheries. I would call on individuals and organisations across the Outer Hebrides to let the Scottish Government know their views on these destructive and disproportionate proposals.

The consultation closes on March 20th.