Frustration and anger in islands over HPMA proposals

Unanimous opposition and very real anger over the Scottish Government’s Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) proposals was displayed at a meeting of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s primary industries working group. The proposals would see a number of activities banned in HPMAs including commercial and recreational fishing.

Comhairle members and officers met with fisheries representatives to gauge industry views around HPMAs. The view of the meeting was that the comhairle should strenuously and vigorously reject and oppose any HPMA proposal in the Outer Hebrides and on the west coast of Scotland.

Speaking after the meeting the chairman of the working group, Councillor 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.

“HPMAs 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 Edinburghbased 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.”

The comhairle will write to Mairi McAllan MSP, minister for environment and land reform, to intimate its opposition and to seek assurance that HPMAs will never be introduced in the Outer Hebrides.

“It is increasingly clear that to protect our fishing industry and the jobs in that industry the community of the Outer Hebrides must take control of our own fisheries,” added Councillor MacDonald. “We need to remove the threat of HPMAs and open discussions with government around devolution of control of our fisheries.”

The consultation on HMPAs can be found at: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/scottish-highly-protected-marine-areas/.