Fears fishing ban could resurface in ‘new guise’

Islanders have cautiously welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to drop a controversial plan to ban fishing in 10 per cent of Scotland’s waters – but say they remain wary of it resurfacing under a different guise.

The Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan confirmed on June 29 that plans to deliver increased protection for Scotland’s marine environment will be revised, with a new pathway and timetable.

Addressing the Scottish Parliament, the Cabinet Secretary said proposals consulted on to implement Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) across 10 per cent of Scotland’s seas by 2026 will not be progressed.

A Holyrood spokesperson added: “The Scottish Government will instead take more time to work with industry, communities and conservation organisations to enhance marine protection, while supporting any groups that wish to pursue community-led marine protection in their local area on a quicker timescale, such as those initiatives in Lamlash Bay on Arran and St Abbs and Eyemouth in Berwickshire.”

It follows a consultation on the principles of HPMA policy in Scotland, which attracted opposition along the West Coast.

In March, Tiree Community Council and Tiree Community Development Trust warned that the designation of the waters used by the Tiree fishing fleet – from Skerryvore to the Cairns of Coll – as a HPMA posed an ‘existential threat to the Tiree community’.

Reacting to the decision, Rhoda Meek, chair of Tiree Community Development Trust, said: “We’re glad the government has listened.

“What was required was to go back to the drawing board and start again. The strength of feeling here and across the islands was clear. However, we should never have reached this point.

The entire consultation process was flawed from the start and it has had negative economic impacts.

“What we need to see now is genuine consultation and discussion with stakeholders.

“Any new pathway has to be created in partnership with the people and places that will be affected. They are the ones who have been most badly treated in the process to date, but they are exactly the people who have the most to contribute when it comes to what we all want - which is healthy, productive seas.”

Phyl Meyer, convenor of Tiree Community Council, added: “We welcome the news that the proposals have been set aside, at least for now. We are glad to see that the voices of Tiree and other communities have been heard and listened to on this occasion.

“We hope that we will swiftly hear what, if any, future intentions the Scottish Government has regarding this policy, hoping that the uncertainty plaguing our fishing community will be lifted.

“Let us hope that lessons will have been learned to ensure that, in future, island communities will be at the heart of discussion from the very start on any proposal that greatly affects us.”

Hebridean trad band Skipinnish wrote a protest song labelling the HPMA proposals as “modern day Clearances”.

The song is written from the perspective of fisherman Donald Francis (DF) MacNeil from the Isle of Vatersay, who said: “HPMAs have only one objective – to devastate our rural, coastal communities and clear them of the indigenous people who have protected them for millennia.”

Skipinnish’s Angus MacPhail told us this week: “It was with relief and joy that the plans for HPMAs had been dropped by the Scottish Government.

“However, after actually watching Màiri McAllan deliver her statement and listening to the dialogue following this, it is clear that this is in-fact more clever political games designed to pacify the protest movement and give the SNP and Green coalition time to regroup and hit us again with HPMA 2 under a different name and timescale.

“We are delighted that the collective protest that Skipinnish has been proud to play a part in has had the effect of at least stalling this unjust, ill-conceived atrocity being launched against our island and coastal communities, but it is now more important than ever, that the voice of these communities remains strong.

“There is indeed a climate crisis hitting the planet, but it is certainly not being caused by low-impact and small-scale fishing operations of the Highlands, Island and fragile coastal communities of Scotland.”