FERGUS EWING: We must concentrate on the promises we made
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Not long after the Scottish Parliament was reconvened, an opinion poll asked what people felt to be the most important matters.
To the surprise of some, fishing and the future of our fishermen was very high on the list.
This came as no surprise to me, because, though our fishermen may be small in number, they are held in great affection by many.
Last week in Holyrood I spoke out strongly against the plans which would see no less than one-tenth of our whole seas shut for fishing entirely. This is because we are in, the minister asserts, a “biodiversity crisis.” Tell this to the fisherman from Mallaig who fishes in Loch Nan Uamh and recently said that the loch there is teeming with life.
The consultation paper demands closure of these seas without any evidence or data, nor rationale beyond bald assertion. Nor is there any attempt whatsoever to assess the economic impacts of what is proposed.
It also ignores that already 37 per cent of our seas are designated to protect special features. A review of how they work should be the starting point.
At the end of my speech, I tore up the document in the chamber in order to express, I believe, the outrage that is felt all around our coasts and on our islands. But also anger here in Inverness of many constituents who have raised their concerns with me.
These designations, called Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) were NOT a policy to be found in our party manifesto in 2021 but rather was part of the deal with the Green Party. A deal done with no input from the public or MSPs, far less fishermen.
Perhaps the Scottish Government should instead concentrate on delivery of promises that actually WERE in our manifesto, such as delivery of the dualled A9 and A96. On those, I’ve written to the new minister Kevin Stewart, to meet him to hear when the dualling promised by new First Minister, Humza Yousaf, will be completed. Meanwhile, the petitions committee I serve on is to hold an inquiry of evidence as to how dualling of the A9 should best be done and how to change the way the work is procured.
Meanwhile, if our Scottish Government really wants to foster species protection, they need look no further than the species “Homo sapiens”.
If fishing is decimated by these madcap Green wheezes, numbers of this particular species will
surely dwindle further in our islands and in towns and villages around our coasts.
