The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) is urging Scottish parliamentarians to reject the Scottish Government proposals for an overly restrictive Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Firth of Clyde, in support of local communities on the West coast.
Following widespread dismay among West coast fishing communities over initial Scottish Government measures on some West coast MPAs in June 2015, which they say threatened the viability of the fishing fleet, the Scottish Government issued revised proposals for three of them, which then went out for consultation.
However, a notable omission was the South Arran MPA where the initial proposals made by the Government in the summer of 2015 remain unchanged, despite significant community opposition over the impact it will have on livelihoods and local economies.
The Scottish Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee are due to meet tomorrow (27 January) to decide upon whether to recommend the MPA proposals to Parliament, and the SFF is calling on MSPs to put livelihoods and communities before green politicking. MSPs will have the final say on the proposals in a parliamentary vote.
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the SFF, said that the organisation fully supports the concept of MPAs, but believes that the South Arran MPA as it stands goes far beyond what was agreed upon during the initial consultation.
“Instead, we have a purely political decision of an overly restrictive MPA made to appease the green lobby, rather than a common sense management arrangement that would have conserved vulnerable habitats whilst protecting fishing communities at the same time,” said Mr Armstrong.
“It is entirely possible to allow limited and carefully controlled fishing within parts of MPAs where there are no features of conservation importance and to impose a blanket ban over a whole area is totally irrational and unnecessary.”
He said that it is important that MSPs throw their support behind their communities and show that they are listening to their concerns.
