COAST Views Are the majority of Politicians & fishery managers completely out of touch with reality?
Are the majority of Politicians & fishery managers completely out of touch with reality?
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For over 7 years the Clyde has seen virtually no commercial white fish landings. Sea Anglers have struggled to catch a fish at all. The commercial mobile fishermen left in the Clyde rely on dragging and dredging the seabed for the last remaining invertebrates.
Yet, we have calls from politicians like Liam MacArthur Lib-Dem MSP and leaders of the mobile fishermen, for relaxations in current effort control to allow them more freedom to catch what remains. This is the main reason the Clyde is in this dire position today; lobbying by the Clyde Fishermen’s Association and associated MPs 25 years ago for the abolition of the 3 mile limit on trawling, resulted in destruction of white fish nursery beds and unsustainable short term over- fishing.
The current effort control system of managing the fishery has obviously completely failed the Clyde over the past 25 years. Surely, it is time to return to area control.
COAST like many other organisation and individuals based around the Clyde would like to ask Richard Lochhead just when is he going to start managing the Clyde on behalf of all its inhabitants. Or will he just continue to ignore the majority of voters in the south west of Scotland.
We do not want more time wasting committees or working groups looking into the problems and possible solutions. We want a Cabinet Secretary with the common sense to see the obvious measures that need to be put in place; a re-introduction of the 3 mile limit in the Clyde that was abolished in 1985. To start to address a problem there is a clear need to acknowledge first that the problem exists. This year at long last Government scientists have finally acknowledged what local people have been saying for over a decade.
But this report only assesses fish and shellfish of interest to the commercial sector. In the Clyde an important part of the food web, the seabed has been wiped clean of the majority of its life and wiped clean of seabed habitats which are so important for a healthy ecosystem.
Will Richard Lochhead, Cabinet secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment and Marine Scotland continue to ignore the facts?
Will the usual spin and excuses be put out about Inshore Fishery Groups managing the fisheries for sustainability?
Tthe recent Marine (Scotland) Act might after 5-10 years protect a few individual rare or iconic species. It will not repair a broken ecosystem.
The government have continually allowed one small section of the fishing industry a veto over any proposals put by the majority of Clyde stakeholders for change. If this continues communities around the Clyde will be left with only two options, using the courts and ballot box.
