Poll shows overwhelming numbers support local fishing, fishing body says

Overwhelming numbers of the public believe the government should not be allowed to squeeze fishing communities out of our seas, a fishing body has said.

In polling carried out for the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) by JL Partners, 78 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement: “governments should ensure that fishing communities are not squeezed out of our increasingly crowded seas”, with only four per cent disagreeing.

The poll was carried out across 2,010 people in the UK.

The survey follows a report for the SFF and National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO), published this year, which showed that more than half of Scottish waters could be closed to trawling by 2050.

SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said: “It is hugely encouraging that almost eight in 10 members of the public share our view that the fishing industry ought to be given much greater protection.

“We fully recognise that decarbonisation is necessary to address climate change.

“However, that should not be at the expense of an industry that is already producing healthy, low-carbon protein.

“The public agree with us that the benefits of climate-smart energy should not be at the expense of climate-smart food.”