Furious fishermen have accused the Scottish Government of devastating their historic Firth of Clyde industry with a “senseless” ban.
Boats in the area support more than 600 jobs – many of which are in small family businesses keeping the way of life alive for remote communities.
But fishermen were left shocked when ministers implemented an 11-week ban in February, leaving them unable to earn a living.
The move is designed to encourage the resurgence of cod stocks – but previous restrictions allowed vessels which didn’t interfere with their habitat to continue working.
Government documents suggest the new total ban – which is to be applied in 2023 as well – was prompted by the SNP’s coalition with the Greens at Holyrood.
They state: “The annual closure of the spawning ground has previously included exemptions to allow nephrops trawlers, creels and scallop dredgers to continue to use the area, due to the low numbers of cod that they catch.
“We have decided to remove these exemptions to provide a higher chance of recovery for cod.
“This change aligns with the commitments in the policy programme of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Greens.”
In the past many fishermen, including traditional creelers working from small boats to catch lobsters and crabs in pots – one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly forms of fishing in the world – were allowed to continue their trade.
There were also exemptions for some of those targeting langoustine.
One operator from Campbeltown, Argyll, whose family have been fishing for generations, has told the Sunday Mail he may now have to sell his boat if the 2023 ban goes ahead.
Kenny Campbell said: “This could spell the end for me and many others.”
Industry groups and opposition politicians have also condemned the ban. Elaine Whyte, of the Clyde
Fishermen’s Association, said: “The lack of consultation or awareness of the impact that this shutdown had on fishermen has been unacceptable.
“We have always been in favour of environmental measures to protect our marine environment but this is senseless and is doing huge damage to a way of life that supports hundreds of families.
“There is practically no cod fishing on the Clyde and the vast majority of fishermen affected by this ban are not doing anything likely to interfere with cod populations.”
The industry on the Clyde – which covers fishermen operating out of Campbeltown, Ayrshire and Arran, is made up of about 150 active vessels landing just over 9500 tons of catch. This equates to a fishing income of almost £17million, which is in turn sold for up to £100million in some of Europe’s finest restaurants.
Scottish Labour’s Colin Smyth said: “Scotland’s fisheries sector is at the heart of many rural communities and it is a hugely important part of our world-class food system. There is a careful balance to strike between protecting our marine environment and protecting this crucial sector but so far the SNP are doing neither.”
Scottish Tory Rachael Hamilton said: “Mairi Gougeon, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Tourism, shamefully put the interests of her friends in the Greens ahead of the interests of the Clyde fishermen.
“Serious engagement must take place over compensating these fishermen who have lost out as a result of a completely misguided policy being railroaded through by the SNP minister.”
The Scottish Government claims the closure – which ended at the weekend – was “pragmatic and evidence-based” to protect spawning cod.
But creel fishermen said lack of consultation and compensation has been devastating and argued cod have migrated to colder waters in the north and are unlikely to return in huge numbers.
The Scottish Government said: “Following constructive discussion with stakeholders and based on scientific evidence, closures that are more focused and targeted have been introduced in the Firth of Clyde. This reduces the overall size of the closure compared to previous years by 28 per cent.
“All fishing activity is prohibited within the closure areas between February 14 and April 30 in both 2022 and 2023, eliminating disturbance during these critical 11 weeks for cod spawning.
“We will continue our engagement with all parties involved and increase monitoring of activity in order to assess progress.
“Whilst we fully understand that removal of the exemptions may come with short-term costs, this seasonal closure covers a short period of 11 weeks, during which vessels may fish in alternative locations, which the vast majority regularly do.”
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