Marine / Consultation on marine protected areas (MPAs) begin
FISHERMEN in Shetland say they are committed to responding to the Scottish Government’s latest consultation on marine conservation measures to ensure that the interests of local fishing crews are not unfairly impacted.
Scotland’s existing network of 230 Marine Protected Areas has been in place since 2010, and covers 37 per cent of Scottish waters.
The government has now put forward 20 of these MPA sites for consultation on introducing fisheries measurement measures such as zonal or full restriction of using demersal mobile and static gear at 15 of these sites.
MPAs were designed to protect specific identified marine habitats or species on the seabed and are different from the recently abandoned plans for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HMPA), which tried to close whole areas of sea to fishing.
Shetland Fishermen’s Association (SFA) said that it was in support of “sensible conservation measures” but needed to ensure an “evidence-based approach” from government.
SFA executive officer Daniel Lawson said:“Fishermen in Shetland have always been supportive of sensible conservation measures, given that their livelihoods rely on a healthy marine environment.
“They participated fully in the process to designate these MPAs and will continue to do so as fisheries management measures are now introduced – as agreed over previous years between industry, government and environmental NGOs.”
He added: “Fishing crews question the government’s assertion of a biodiversity crisis in Scotland’s seas and want to see an evidenced based approach that clearly identifies the proposed problems – and proves how stopping legitimate fishing activity could be part of the solution.
“In a community like Shetland which gains so much from our seas, we must strive to strike the sensible balance between conservation and sustainable use.”
Introducing the consultation which runs until 14 October, the Scottish Government’s net zero cabinet secretary Gillian Martin said that in light of the biodiversity and climate crisis the marine environment needed further support.
“Marine Protected Areas already provide focused protection for the species and habitats in our waters,” she said.
“By implementing proposed fisheries management measures, we can further guard against further biodiversity loss, help to restore high priority marine features and make a greater contribution to supporting and maintaining the marine ecosystem, which in turn supports our long-term food security.
“This will help ensure our seas remain a source of prosperity for the nation, especially in our coastal and island communities.
“These proposals are the result of many years of development, and we will continue to consult very closely with industry and coastal communities to hear their views.”
Further details on the consultation can be found here.
Fisheries management measures for MPAs in inshore waters will be the subject of a subsequent consultation.
