It’s Captain Hypocrisy!
He advises SNP on combating illegal scallop dredging... then his firm is fined for, er, illegal scallop dredging
A COMPANY owned by a fishing industry leader who advised Scottish Ministers on how to tackle illegal scallop dredging has been found guilty of breaking the rules.
John MacAlister, who was part of the Government’s Scallop Sector Working Group, has had his business slapped with a £180,000 fine after one of his company’s boats was caught in waters off Yorkshire, dredging against the law.
Dredging is a controversial practice, with environmentalists warning it devastates marine life on the seabed, and has been banned in certain protected areas.
The Government, and its quango Marine Scotland, set up the group to drive forward plans to crack down on illegal dredging in 2019.
Mr MacAlister has also been a long-term supporter of former Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing, who had responsibility for the issue.
Nick Underdown, of environmental campaign group Open Seas, said: ‘It beggars belief that Fergus Ewing has been taking advice about regulating scallop fishing from the boss of a company that has broken those very rules.
‘It’s at the very best extremely bad political judgment – at worst, it can give the impression of a degree of institutional bias.
‘The burning question is whether Mr MacAlister or others, whose companies have been involved in, or have profited from, illegal behaviour, have continued to take part in these advisory meetings.’
He warned the Government’s failure to tackle illegal dredging risked harming the coastline. ‘Scallop dredging is a damaging method of industry and needs much tighter regulation,’ Mr Underdown said.
In April, Mr MacAlister’s company, John MacAlister (Oban) Ltd, and Alex Murray, of the Isle of Lewis, were sentenced at Scarborough Magistrates Court, after pleading guilty to multiple breaches of dredging regulations off the Yorkshire coast.
The firm, which owned the Star of Annan, was fined £180,000, ordered to pay £7,000 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.
Tory rural affairs spokeswoman
Rachael Hamilton, said: ‘It seems somewhat hypocritical for Mr MacAlister to be part of a governmental advisory group that is ultimately responsible for formulating the rules that his own boat has broken.’
Mr MacAlister did not respond to requests for comment, but Brodies Solicitors issued a statement on his behalf.
The statement read: ‘John MacAlister
(Oban) Limited neither condones nor instructs any breaches of legislation by the skippers of its vessels.
‘As the case is under appeal in the court system it would be inappropriate to comment further.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We are unable to comment on personal details relating to members of the Scottish Scallop Sector Working Group.’