11-week cod ban ‘driving fishermen into poverty’
The Scottish Government has refused to offer financial support for fishermen left without an income for three months following a ban as a fisherman says he is being “driven into poverty”.
The news comes after an 11-week targeted cod ban – prohibiting all fishing where cod can spawn in the Firth of Clyde – came into place on February 14.
Creel fishermen told The Scotsman how they were left “devastated” by the ban as they were unable to move their boats without facing safety risks and “unaffordable” costs, leaving them to close their businesses for three months.
Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon confirmed the Government was not considering any additional financial support schemes specifically related to this closure.
Speaking at the rural affairs committee yesterday, Ms Gougeon apologised for the “short-term costs” the ban had on fishers.
She told the committee: “I accept that the process around this closure has been far from ideal and I do sincerely apologise for that.
"Our approach on this occasion has fallen short of our comanagement principles and practice. It has been been a really complex issue to balance and we will ensure that we learn the lessons from how this closure has been managed.”
The minister said adapting the measures to exclude any exemptions such as creel fishing this year was the “right decision” to protect spawning
cod based on “the best available scientific evidence”. However, scientists and academics have claimed there is “no evidence” creel fishing impacts cod spawning.
The Government claims the ban was implemented to take into account disturbance to cod, including up to within 10m of the seabed.
Paul Mcallister, a creel fisherman
affected by the ban based at Campbeltown Harbour, said he “could not put into words” how much Ms Gougeon and the Government has failed the creeling community.
He said the decisions taken by the Government were “driving him into poverty”.
Mr Mcallister wrote to Ms Gougeon: “To call 11 weeks a short period when you are self-employed shows just how detached you are from working-class people such as myself.”
He also asked her why the Government had removed its evidence on creels affecting spawning cod from its website.
Mr Mcallister added: “If you could give an explanation for this, I’d appreciate that since
this is what you are basing your decisions on.”
Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton brought forward a motion to annul the ban. However, this was rejected.
Ms Hamilton said: “I believe the process is utterly botched and there’s a complete lack of evidence and lack of engagement.
"At a time when living costs are rising, we cannot abandon our fishing communities.
“I’m really disappointed that some colleagues don’t consider this seriously enough.
"I think this is a spineless approach from SNP backbenchers, particularly from [MSP] Jenni Minto, who called for compensation for her constituents in January.”