MP criticises SNP Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP for ‘disowning fishing industry’

Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has slammed his MSP counterpart after she voted against reconsidering proposals on Highly Protected Marine Areas, despite widespread concern from the fishing industry.

Mr Duguid criticised Karen Adam for ‘disowning the fishing industry’ and putting ‘political games ahead of constituents’ after last week’s vote. And he said the SNP MSP was “happy to see the fishing sector sink” as she opted against changing “catastrophic” plans for a partial squeeze in Scottish waters.

Mr Duguid has been campaigning against the Scottish Government’s HPMA proposals for the last year, having written to several Ministers, including the First Minister, asking why the amount of HPMA coverage in Scottish waters (10%) needs to be almost 20 times as much as the UK Government plans for English waters (0.53%).

He said: “Karen Adam has chosen loyalty to SNP and Green ideology and disowned the fishing industry by voting against our call to reconsider the SNP’s catastrophic approach to HPMAs. She claims to support the industry but what she has actually voted for goes completely against the needs of the sector and coastal communities.”

Karen Adam MSP

Responding to Mr Duguid’s criticism, Ms Adam said: “My concerns around HPMAs and the impact they will have on fishers are well-known to the Scottish Government. The livelihoods of fishers are not a political game. I will continue to work constructively with the government to ensure the best outcome for coastal communities across Banffshire and Buchan Coast.

“Despite Tory disinformation, I did not vote in favour of HPMAs. The motion I voted for specifically recognised the considerable strength of feeling on HPMAs and committed the Scottish Government to working with coastal communities and the fishing sector to ensure their views are listened to and understood. It also noted the Scottish Government’s commitment to not impose HMPAs on communities that are vehemently opposed to them. I have made clear, in two speeches to parliament, the need for urgent clarity on how those communities will be defined and how we will gauge their ‘vehement’ opposition. A point Mr Duguid's boss, Douglas Ross, made at First Minister's Questions.”