Fishing leaders react to HPMAs

The Lerwick whitefish vessel Copious. Photo: Ivan Reid.

Fishing leaders have welcomed the growing strength of feeling against Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAS) as consultation into the proposals draws to a close.

Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief executive Elspeth Macdonald repeated calls for the controversial plans to be put on hold.

 “Community groups, local authorities and MSPs from across the political spectrum have expressed their fears that designating at least 10 per cent of Scotland’s seas as HPMAs will have far-reaching consequences for Scotland’s coastal and island communities and economies,” she said.

 “It lacks a proper evidence base and does not articulate with any clarity what the government is aiming to achieve.”

She warned the plans were “politically driven rather than based on robust policy analysis,” adding there was “no data underpinning the process, no time to establish baselines once the sites are identified, and no models or indicators to measure their effect”.

Ms Macdonald stressed the Scottish government’s timescale was not realistic. 

 “The impact on other marine users is potentially immense, and the government hasn’t yet been able to set out how it will assess the displacement of marine activities including fishing into other areas, or the environmental or socio-economic impacts.  

“We repeat our call to the Scottish government to pause, reflect and rethink these proposals, which many people around Scotland’s coastline don’t support.”

“Over a third of Scotland’s seas are currently designated for nature conservation through the Marine Protected Area network.”

“We believe this is the right route. Our industry is supportive of meaningful, scientifically based, and well-founded conservation, but the HPMA policy fails on both these fronts. This HPMA policy is far too high a price to pay for such vague and questionable aims. 

“Seafood is a key part of Scotland’s transition to net zero, with a mounting body of science showing that greenhouse gas emissions from seafood are equivalent to those of vegetables, and far lower than other forms of protein production.”

“We need policies that support nature conservation alongside sustainable, low-emission food production, and politically motivated HPMAs threaten that balance, with the government unable to provide any substance to why they believe they are needed,” she added.