What drives the Scottish Fisherman's Federation (SFF) to act like dogfish in the manger (Fishermen's group claims new seabed controls threaten livelihoods, Business, June 21 June)?
What would be the point of setting up Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) in Scottish West Coast waters if boats were allowed to go munching swathes through them with heavy gear?
With Scottish MPAs due to become operational in October, scallops and prawns are soon to have a better chance to grow to sexual maturity in these special zones. They will in the course of time release billions of eggs, the survivors from which will develop in situ or drift to restock adjacent areas. And these are exactly the permitted areas where scallop dredgers and prawn trawlers can then year-on-year see bigger catches.
Yes, there will be initial slight dislocation, estimated by the Scottish Government to cost around 1% of trawler and 1.6% of dredger income. But the eventual prize for conservation is a large one, and is already being seized, not just, as might be expected, by Norway, Sweden and Iceland, but by Wales and England too, all of which have made significant areas prohibited to heavy towed bottom gear.
The SFF would do well to learn from international example. A healthy, fertile sea around Scotland is in everyone's interest.
John Aberdein
Hoy, Orkney
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