Marine proposals will “wipe out fishing”

​The move comes as the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and Greens has been thrown into doubt as a result of Nicola Sturgeon’s impending resignation and the election of a new SNP leader who will replace her as First Minister.

Duncan Macinnes, secretary of the Western Isles Fishermen’s Association and deputy leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said that “from a fishing perspective, the best outcome would be for the co-operation agreement to end and the Bute House Agreement to be scrapped”.

The preamble to the consultation document makes clear that it flows from the deal that brought the Greens into the Scottish Government, stating: “Through the Bute House Agreement, Scottish Ministers have committed to designate at least ten per cent of Scotland’s seas as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), by 2026”.

Last week, a meeting between Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and fishing interests came out unanimously against the HPMA proposals and recommended the Comhairle “should strenuously and vigorously reject and oppose any HPMA proposal in the Outer Hebrides and on the west coast of Scotland”.

As previously highlighted by the Gazette, the HPMA plans would ban virtually every form of economic activity in the designated areas including commercial and recreational fishing, all forms of aquaculture and shellfish cultivation, seaweed gathering and pleasure sailing.

Mr Macinnes described the plans as “the worst thing that has happened in a generation in the marine environment” which would wipe out the fishing and processing industries at a time when they have overcome the challenges of Brexit and Covid.

He said that with the help of new freezing methods, markets have been opened up in Australia, New Zealand and America. “That’s where the prawns from Stornoway are going”, he said.

“The prices for nephrops are the highest they have ever been and demand is outstripping supply. All we need is certainty of access to the grounds that have been sustainably managed for centuries and which we have had since TACs (total allowable catches) were set for nephrops”.

Mr Macinnes said that the people putting forward these proposals lacked understanding of how fisheries operate and the counter-productive effects of not managing an active fishery.

He cited the example of brown crab which was once rejected in the islands because it had not been fished but through years of managing a sustainable fishery, the quality had steadily improved and is now on a par with anywhere.

Councillor Norrie Macdonald, who chaired last week’s meeting, said afterwards: “I have seldom attended a meeting where the frustration and anger of Comhairle elected embers 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.”

He said that the Comhairle would now be responding “robustly” to the proposals and called on individuals and organisations across the islands to let the Scottish Government know their views.

Writing in this week’s Gazette, Donald MacLennan, owner of Sound of Harris Shellfish, writes: “This HPMA framework that is being proposed by Marine Scotland is far beyond anything proposed by the rest of the UK & Ireland. It is driven via an unrealistic and highly damaging opinion by a minority of folk that hold the fishing industry in utter contempt.”

Drawing a comparison with 19th century landlordism, Mr MacLennan adds: “Except now, and I say this with a heavy heart, the landlord is the Scottish government, and the sheep are replaced by the new religion of fundamentalist environmentalism”.

The MSP for the Western Isles, Alasdair Allan, has been coming under pressure to speak out on the subject. Writing on Facebook on Wednesday, he urged “as many people from the Western Isles as possible” to contribute to the consultation.

Pressed on an opinion, Mr Allan responded: “Will certainly publish a fuller viewpoint once I have concluded this week’s fishing sector meetings and have completed my own consultation response, along with a press release. My reason for posting quickly about it was to give people a chance to begin to wade through the consultation questions in plenty of time”