HPMAs: Scottish Government scraps current plans on no-fishing zones following consultation

Scotland’s fishing sector had been ramping up pressure on the Scottish Government to scale back the proposals.

Ministers have been forced "back to the drawing board" on controversial marine protection zones as the policy was scrapped on the last sitting day of parliament.

Net Zero secretary Mairi McAllan, addressing MSPs on Thursday, said the government’s plans to implement no-fishing zones in ten per cent of Scottish waters will be changed with a revised “pathway and timetable” to be announced later this year.

Industry leaders have now called on ministers to ensure they work with the fishing sector and coastal businesses when drafting fresh proposals.

The scrapping of the highly controversial HPMA plans comes after a consultation which sparked more than 4,000 responses; the results of which will be published after summer recess.

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The proposals prompted a fierce backlash from the fishing industry since they were first announced six months ago, with some comparing the plans to the Highland Clearances given the impact they would have had on coastal communities.

Ms McAllan said one of the main concerns raised in the consultation, from both those in favour and against HPMAs, was implementing the proposals by 2026. Critics said this was an unrealistic timeframe for ministers to be able to work with industry and coastal communities to deliver such plans.

The Scottish Government has delayed the implementation of HPMAs following a consultation on the proposals (pic: Lisa Ferguson)

The minister said: “The proposed timeframe could limit our aspirations for genuine collaboration with communities, which is integral to Scotland’s approach to a fair and just transition.

“I can confirm today that the proposal as consulted on will not be progressed.

"This means we will no longer seek to implement HPMAs across ten per cent of Scotland’s seas by 2026.”

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A spokesperson for First Minister Humza Yousaf said the Scottish Government is “still committed to enhanced marine protection and we will come forward with other proposals about how that looks...and it will be very different”, adding: “We're still at the drawing board stage here.”

It is understood ministers will use the summer months ahead to develop fresh plans that will still include aspects of the ditched proposals.

Sources said there are no firm decisions in place for what exactly this could look like, but that there will likely be an intention to limit the impact of the policy on local fishing communities to allow them to back the new proposals.

Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon also intends to consult on the potential closure of sandeel fisheries in Scottish waters “to safeguard an important food source for many species.”

Wider aspects of the initial policy such as restrictions on cable laying and other undersea commercial activity is still likely to be restricted.

There has also been an acceptance that the initial proposals were poorly communicated when they were announced earlier this year, sources have said.

Scotland Salmon and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), which have both been heavily involved in ramping up pressure on the Scottish Government to scrap the proposed zones, were among those who welcomed the announcement to scrap current HPMA plans.

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SFF’s chief executive Elspeth Macdonald, however, warned: “Ministers will now need to reassure people that they are not simply intent on introducing the same policy by the back door.

"The seafood sector has set out a clear pathway on how we can work with government to strike the right balance between nature conservation and sustainable use, and the test for government now is to deliver upon that.”

Co-leader of the Scottish Greens Lorna Slater previously told The Scotsman that HPMAs are “a key part” of the power-sharing deal between the SNP and the Greens – known as the Bute House Agreement.

She said they had been established in other countries and were “a really good way” of allowing marine eco-systems and fish stocks to recover, benefiting the fishing sector and communities.

However her own party proceeded to welcome the decision to scrap them, describing the announcement as “a golden opportunity to protect our oceans.”

Members of the fishing community, including fishermen brothers Neil and Angus MacPhail, have repeatedly criticised the Scottish Government for failing to include stakeholder input from the outset when the proposals were first announced last year.

But Green MSP Arianne Burgess said the Scottish Greens “have championed community involvement from the outset”, adding: “They need to be at the heart of what we do next, which is why we are pleased the minister has not only recommitted to marine protections, but committed to community-led input.”

The HPMA proposals became a source of friction in the SNP leadership contest after former finance secretary Kate Forbes pledged to ditch the plans, with Scottish Greens ministers saying it would lead to a breakdown of the party coalition.

Ms Forbes, at the time, warned people, not wildlife, could become the "endangered species" in Highland and island areas if they were to go ahead.

She welcomed Thursday’s announcement, saying the move was “testament to the determined efforts by local campaigners and the government's genuine willingness to listen”, adding “it is now critical that any new proposals for marine protected areas genuinely take into account communities’ views, fishermen’s lived experiences and the importance of a truly just transition for rural Scotland.”

In her statement, Ms McAllan also confirmed ministers will be consulting with the UK Government about seeking powers to extend the areas in which it can designate more Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) beyond 12 nautical miles.

MPAs ban some fishing practices, but have less restrictions than what was proposed in HPMAs, and they cover about 37 per cent of Scotland’s waters.

The Scottish Parliament only has control of the sea up to 12 nautical miles from the shore, which is less than a fifth of what is regarded as Scotland’s sea area. Responsibility and control of the remaining four-fifths lies with the UK Government.

Scottish government sources suggest that there will be some form of enhanced marine protection in place before the next Holyrood election in 2026. This is likely to be policy that replicates the approach at Lamlash Bay – the first community-led marine reserve of its kind in Scotland when established in 2008 where no marine life can be removed by any method.

Scottish Conservative rural affairs spokesperson Rachael Hamilton MSP dismissed the Scottish Government’s move to change HPMA plans as “a rebrand”, adding: “In reality this amounts to little more than kicking the can down the road.”

“Never have I experienced a policy that has received such overwhelming opposition from coastal communities, and Scotland’s fishermen must now be at the heart of any proposals brought forward,” she said.

“As much as the SNP try to spin, ministers still remain wedded to enhancing marine protection in a further ten per cent of our seas, just a few years later than their initial plans outlined.

“SNP-Green ministers have caused huge stress in recent months in our coastal communities – and that must never happen again.

“While this statement gives them some breathing space, we need to see those who will be affected dictate these new plans. The fact that the Greens have welcomed this move suggests it will be their anti-fishing tune that the SNP will be dancing to.”