Feelings ran high in the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh today as both fishermen and the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) demonstrated outside over proposals that would restrict towed gear fishing across thirteen sites to due to be protected. These include Loch Sween, South Arran, Upper Loch Fyne and St Kilda.
A bid by conservative MSP Jamie McGrigor to annul the fishing orders governing the area, supported by fellow Tory MSP Alex Fergusson was defeated by seven votes to two following a heated debate as the Marine Conservation Order for the South Annan MPA went before the Scottish Parliament.
NGOs backed by US-based charitable trusts have been part of the bitter row over plans for the MPAs that are feared will have severe repercussions for the fishing industry in the region, particularly for the scallop sector.
In a battle that has seen no shortage of invective on both sides, COAST has congratulated minister Richard Lochhead on standing up to what it calls ‘well-healed mobile prawn lobby’ while opponents of the MPAs have accused the minister of being swayed by heavyweight lobbying by wealthy US conservationists.
Jamie McGrigor, who is also honorary president of the Clyde Fishermen’s Association, has warned that the Scottish Government could be in breach of the law on the basis that the MPA consultation was not served on all of the interested parties.
Richard Lochhead agreed that some vessels could see their revenues cut by as much as 20% but argued that the overall impact of the measures on the fishing sector would be only 2.4%, while he said that he would be monitoring economic impacts of the MPA.
‘This is controversial, and I know there are very tough debates because we’re trying to balance conservation with economic impact, but I think we have to have a sense of realism about the figures and phrases that we are using. There is no danger of the scallop sector being wiped out by the South Arran MPA,’ he commented.
