Fishing industry reels over government’s HPMA plans
A joint statement from the fishing and seafood industry has called out the Scottish government on their Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) proposal after yesterday’s (Tuesday) debate.
A statement on behalf of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, Seafood Scotland, Salmon Scotland, Scottish Association of Fish Producers Organisation and Community Fisheries Inshore Alliance was released after politicians debated the issue in Holyrood on Tuesday.
The motion, put forward by Beatrice Wishart MSP, was highly emotive with politicians and industry leaders calling the government’s proposal baseless.
The statement said: “We call on the Government to listen to those whose livelihoods depend on putting Scottish seafood on people’s plates; those who would be most impacted.
“The Government has not made the case for why HPMAs are needed, far less where they should be.”
Ms Wishart also called the communication from the government was “poor”.
She said: “Had it engaged meaningfully with communities before now it is possible that some concerns could have been alleviated.”
She said the government’s plan to tackle climate change is correct but its plans to restrict the fishing and seafood sectors should be based on evidence.
“It’s time to stop implying fishermen don’t care about our seas,” she added.
“The fishing sector rely on sustainable catches and benefit from healthy seas. Who better understands that our seas are fragile than our fishermen, who want to ensure there’s a future for the next generation?”
