Scottish Government restricts fishing off Barra seas 19/8/11
Controversial environmental designations will be imposed on seas around Barra which local fishermen maintain would affect their livelihood.
Despite islanders’ protests, the Scottish Government has approved a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) to the south of the island. It will soon be rubber stamped as an official European protected area.
The site off East Mingulay hosts the UK only example of the coldwater coral lophelia. Scallop trawling will be outlawed within the area and creels will be banned over reefs.
The Scottish Government is also proposing similar restrictions in the Sound of Barra to safeguard sandbanks, reefs, and common seals. It says using creel fishing should not be affected but there would be restrictions on towing for clams.
Locals fear the measures will badly hit Barra’s fishing industry with a serious knock on effect on processing factory and the wider island economy.
MP Angus Brendan MacNeil said: “The people and fishermen of Barra and Uist did not want this environmental designation and it is an example of the uncontrollable freight train that is EU Commission bureaucracy.
“Once they have decided on a course of action governments in either Edinburgh or London or their attendant civil servants are powerless to do much about it.
“There are assurances with one word and restrictions with another; the fact of the matter is this environment existed without the time, money and attendant bureaucracies of the last few years.
“In February 2009, I asked the Eurocrat, a man called Patrick Murphy, Head of Nature and Biodiversity, from where this expense in time and money originated, to come to the islands and explain in detail why they wanted the SAC, he simply turned down this request from a Member of Parliament in a Member State with a democratic mandate.
They will do what they want it would seem and further consultations will continue to be a sham.
“The lesson for countries like Iceland who might be flirting with deeper involvement
with the EU is that if they want a slow and unbending decision-
MSP Alasdair Allan “My constituents have expressed their opposition to both proposed designations, which come under the European habitats legislation.
“The campaign by people in Barra has, I hope, had an impact on some of what was announced today by the Environment Minister.
“Today’s announcement indicates that the East Mingulay marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) will be 8% smaller than originally proposed. I would like to think that this reflects representations made by fishermen.
“More significantly, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have today indicated their advice to ministers on how the SAC should operate at East Mingulay.
“This recommends that creel fishing should only be restricted above specific reefs. Demersal trawling and dredging would be prohibited within the site boundary.
“As local MSP, I have asked the Environment Minister to recognise that the creel fishery in east Mingulay is a valuable resource, and one which is doing no harm to habitats.
“A scientific consultation period will now open on a possible SAC designation in the Sound of Barra. Again SNH have already offered advice to ministers about how any designation might operate.
“They advised that there should be no impact on creel fishing. The Environment Minister has also indicated that trawling and dredging could be allowed to continue if they occur away from the most sensitive areas of habitat.
“I have asked for a meeting with the Environment Minister, Stewart Stevenson, seeking more detail about the management of the East Mingulay mSAC, now that it is going to be designated, and to continue to make clear my constituents’ opposition to a designation in the Sound of Barra.”
Environment minister Stewart Stevenson said: "Making fisheries management advice available at this stage provides more certainty to the local fishing industry regarding both proposals, while also making clear that creel fishing can continue in the Sound of Barra to help ensure that the local communities continue to derive economic value from the area."