Fears for fragile coastal towns
Marine consultation closes on HMPA but opposition continues to grow
There are fears that already fragile coastal communities like Campbeltown could be left devastated if “draconian measures” to ban fishing in 10 per cent of Scotland’s seas come into force.
A Scottish Government consultation on plans to designate at least 10 per cent of Scotland’s seas as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) closed on Monday.
As well as banning inshore fishing, the new regulations would also prohibit industrial and aquaculture activities, and place restrictions on recreational activities.
Since the controversial proposals were first revealed, fishermen across the country have urged the government to re-think the policy, with a protest song – titled The Clearances Again – by fisherman Donald Francis (DF) MacNeil of the Outer Hebrides and traditional Scottish band Skipinnish topping the charts.
Tarbert man Kenneth MacNab, of the Clyde Fishermen’s Association, has been a fisherman all his working life and, for five generations, his family has fished the west coast.
“We have every interest in fishing sustainably,” he told the Courier. “The future of our family and wider communities depends on sensible fishing patterns.
“The whole relationship between sustainable fishermen and government policy needs to be reset currently. We need balance and stability to continue to exist, and we need neutral science before decisions are taken impacting people’s lives, and the environment, permanently.
“We’ve seen the reduction in local boats since the MPAs [Marine Protected Areas] which were designated in 2016; anyone walking along a harbour in Tarbert or Campbeltown can see that.
“What we haven’t seen is the regular neutral science promised by government on the MPAs.
“We haven’t seen independent reviews of the socio-economic impacts they have brought to our fishing communities already, and they don’t appear to have brought in the tourism jobs some claimed
‘The future of our family and wider communities depends on sensible fishing patterns.’
they would either. The Clyde alone has five MPAs and a ‘no take zone’ and is the most heavily regulated area in Scotland.
“We shouldn’t be rushing on with new HMPA policies and priority marine features when we haven’t assessed the ones we already have in place.
“We do need more basic science involving fishing communities, and we need to better understand changes in the marine environment.”
There may be hope for fisherman, however, as First Minister Humza Yousaf said this week that the government would not “impose these policies on communities that don’t want them”.
Speaking on Tuesday as he revealed his priorities for government, Mr Yousaf said that “no criteria, no site selection” had been made and that the government “will work constructively” with communities as it analyses the consultation results.
Just transition secretary Mairi McAllan has also pledged to tour Scotland to engage with communities and hear their concerns.
Welcoming this news, South Kintyre councillor John Armour said: “I have real concerns about the consultation and think that stakeholders, especially fishermen, should have been contacted for their input before this consultation saw the light of day.
“I urged the Scottish Government to halt the consultation and engage with the fishermen and I am pleased to see that minister Mairi McAllan has now pledged to speak to coastal and island communities to hear their concerns.”
He added: “Over the years, our fishermen have done more than most to ensure the sustainability of the seas around us and the draconian measures suggested in the consultation will be absolutely devastating for them.” Ward colleague Councillor Tommy Macpherson is also concerned about the proposals, which he fears could be “the final blow, the coup de grâce”, for a chosen way of life.
“Inshore coastal fishing, and the various small localised onshore businesses that support the industry, are already facing national constraints that are multiplied ten-fold by being remote, rural and island-based,” he said.
“Whilst nationally, the perception is that it is only 10 per cent of our inshore coastal waters, the impact on the area that has an HPMA will be 100 per cent and nothing short of a tragedy to the communities on its shores.”
Councillor Donald Kelly, also of South Kintyre, is calling for “every effort” to be made to ensure the proposals are rejected.
He said: “Yet again, the Scottish Government is putting forward proposals which, if accepted, will have a deep impact on Scotland’s growing aquaculture industry and our already fragile and decimated fishing industry.”
Argyll and Bute Council officially responded to the Scottish Government consultation. Its leader, Councillor Robin Currie, said: “We remain committed to tackling the effects of climate change as we all work towards achieving net zero by 2045.
“Whilst that commitment remains, we believe the impact of HPMAs would have detrimental effects on our blue economy which our communities rely on including fishing businesses, aquaculture and marine tourism.
“Many people and businesses across Argyll and Bute are gravely concerned and oppose the proposals. We echo these concerns and have highlighted the potential economic and social devastation in our response to the Scottish Government.
“Our fragile coastal, remote and island communities depend on marine tourism, aquaculture and fishing. HPMAs in the proposed form threaten a devastating reduction of jobs and ultimately people across the western half of Scotland.
“In some cases, businesses and their activities would close down completely. This is a loss that Argyll and Bute and the wider west coast of Scotland simply cannot agree with, afford or sustain.”