Scotland fishing: Outrage as temporary ban forces fishermen to close businesses for three months

Outraged fishermen have said small creel fisheries have been “forgotten about” by the Scottish Government as a temporary ban on fishing in the Clyde has led them to close their businesses for three months.

Fishermen based at Campbeltown Harbour have told how static fisherman feel “forgotten” and their businesses “left to suffer” following an 11-week ban in a section of the Firth of Clyde.

The targeted cod ban – which prohibits all fishing activity where cod can spawn in the Clyde – came into place on 14 February after it was announced on 12 January.

The government claims the ban intends to protect spawning cod and the marine ecosystem following over-fishing.

Paul McAllister and his one-year-old son Felix on board his 10m creel boat Serpico (Photo: Paul McAllister).

The decision aligns with the commitments in the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party.

However, there has been scepticism from groups over whether the ban is effective and an emphasis on how it is impacting community fishermen.

Trawlers and static fishermen are still able to fish nearby in the Clyde, as prohibited areas were chosen based on the sediment types cod prefers to spawn.

The initial banned area was a strip from the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse over to Stranraer. However, the prohibited area has now expanded and covers a section around Arran.

Yet, the government claimed it has reduced the overall size of the closure by 28 per cent compared to previous years.

Creel fishermen say lack of consultation and compensation around these changes has left them in a “nightmare” scenario.

Paul McAllister, 32, who works out of a 10m creel boat said: “I feel like I’ve been totally let down by everyone.

“The government made a concession opening up an area for the trawlers and because they’ve done that everyone thinks the fisherman have somewhere to go, but that’s left all of us static fisherman even worse off.

“No-one is fighting for us. It feels as if they [the government] just needed someone to blame for the over-fishing. ”

Mr McAllister said he was told by the Scottish Government he can move into a ban-free zone, but due to recent stormy weather, he said this made it impossible to remove his gear from the banned area. He was then told by Marine Scotland if he does move this gear, he could get fined up to £50,000.

Marine Scotland, however, told Mr McAllister on 17 February they will now allow him to move his gear without a fine.

Yet, the creel fisherman is still unable to work during a period the government said would have “short-term costs”.

“There are many factors to do with this ban that are outrageous,” he said. “It blows my mind that it can be legal for a government to simply tell me I cannot go to work.

“The people making these decisions seem to have forgotten that it affects small business and real families in rural communities.

“Currently, in the best case scenario I will lose 25 per cent of the year’s earnings for my business and for my crew.”

“However, realistically, how I can expect my crew to happily not earn for nearly three months?

“It is more likely that I will not have crew when it comes to the end of the ban in April, as they will have been forced to find work elsewhere.”

Kenny Campbell, a creel fisherman who fishes for crab and lobsters said: “I’ve got no income and I’ve got nowhere to go with my creels unless I go round the Mull of Kintyre but with their gales of wind it’s just not safe with my size of boat.

“It’s depressing. I left school 30 years ago to come and do this and the worry is what’s going to happen next year?

“They are looking for somebody blame and we are getting singled out."

Nick Underdown from Open Seas, a charitable incorporated organisation, said: “There is basically no good evidence to support the ban on creeling. The impact of bottom-trawling on the seabed where cod spawn is very different from creel fishing. Creeling has a tiny footprint when compared to bottom-trawling and we are in support of preferential access for low impact fisheries.

“We support a just transition and it’s clear that livelihoods will be affected when taking the measures needed to recover our fish stocks and the Government has a duty to deal with this and support fishermen.

“The Scottish Government has not consulted properly or soundly on this issue and it exposes a broader dysfunction in the way our fisheries are managed.”

Clyde Fishermen's Association (CFA) claims the Government’s changes have affected all fishermen they support.

The CFA wants to see the Government working more closely with fishing communities and “much improved co-ordination and genuine involvement based on sound data”.

“I’ve never in all my years working in fisheries policy encountered such a lack of consultation or awareness,” said Elaine Whyte from the CFA, “We cannot accept that this is a short closure with minimal environmental or socio-economic considerations.

“We still currently have three family boats who have lost their income for a period of three months, and very few families would find it easy to survive on no income.

"It is not easy for all boats to simply move to other areas as the stocks may not be in another area, or they may be more exposed and less safe.

"In light of the impacts of Brexit and Covid these boats have little resilience already.

"Our local small scale community fishermen, be they mobile or static fishermen, are pro sustainable fishing.

"This is the very reason why they led on creating the Cod Closure Box 20 years ago.”

The ban made Mr Campbell unable to sleep at night. The 47-year-old says he has bounced back a “wee bit” but constant worry remains.

Mr Campbell whose dad, grandfather and great grandfather were fisherman said he would “stick it out” but added: “It’s going to be difficult if the government can just turn around and shut you down and I’ll probably have to stop if they do that.

“They could give us compensation but they just don’t. There’s fewer creel fishers so it’s less politically damaging for them.”

The Scottish Government said in line with its policy around similar management measures, including the National Cod Avoidance Plan and Marine Protected Areas, it is not considering any additional financial support schemes specifically related to this closure.

However, the CFA has not accepted that this measure is similar to the National North Sea Cod Avoidance Plan as the association says the Scottish plans “lacks the science, monitoring, engagement and conditions” associated with the North Sea Scheme.

The Rural Affairs committee will be looking at the cod fishing issues in the Clyde at the end of next month.

The Scottish Government claims the revised closure is a “pragmatic and evidence-based solution” which ensures spawning cod and vulnerable coastal communities are protected.

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