Meeting of the Parliament 02 May 2023
I thank Beatrice Wishart for bringing this important members’ business debate to the chamber. Over the course of the consultation period for highly protected marine areas, the level of fear across my constituency about what the proposals might mean for our islands has grown, although some recent remarks from both the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the First Minister have certainly served to reassure them about the Government’s intentions.
Following the consultation paper, individual island communities have had serious concerns that any designation around their own coastline would effectively end all forms of fishing and aquaculture for them overnight. Although it is important to note that only 10 per cent of Scotland’s seas would be affected by the proposals, the difficulty is that no indication has yet been given of which areas are to be affected. Every community, therefore, currently fears the worst. There is time to address those fears if we act, as I believe that the Government is willing to do.
However, I have to be direct: I have never known my constituency to be apparently so unanimously opposed to any single policy as this one in all my time serving as their MSP. That opposition is not only from those who are involved in the fishing industry—literally everyone locally who has spoken or written to me on the issue has expressed total opposition to the proposals as they stand.