The Scottish government has ditched controversial marine protection plans after a furious backlash that united coastal communities, grassroots campaigners and sectors of the fishing industry.
Holyrood’s net zero secretary, Màiri McAllan, promised “further community and industry engagement” as she announced on Thursday the end of proposals to implement highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) that would impose strict limits on human activity such as fishing, aquaculture and tourism in at least 10% of Scotland’s waters by 2026.
