‘Genuine concern’ over marine protection plans

Any new efforts to further protect marine conservation areas off Orkney should not come at the expense of the local fishing industry.

That is the message being sent out by Orkney Islands Councillors to the Scottish Government, which is consulting on introducing extra safeguards to look after marine life on and around the seabed.

OIC has been assured the plans to bring in restrictions on demersal dredging will have an insignificant impact on the inshore fishery.

A study estimated it would affect less than £25,000 of the £25 million in annual landings from Orkney-based vessels. It did not foresee any jobs being lost.

Speaking at Tuesday’s enterprise and infrastructure committee, chairwoman Mellissa Thomson said OIC needs to speak out strongly in support of the industry to protect it from any adverse impacts.

She was also keen to ensure that any new measure should not cause problems for the council’s harbour dredging programme.

The current exercise does not seek to extend the existing 11 Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) off Orkney’s shores.

It is consulting over changes which would restrict hydraulic dredging in MPAs and banning scallop dredging in the nine Orkney areas that are proposed Priority Marine Feature Management Areas.

The measures are designed to protect features such as horse mussel, maerl and seagrass beds and sea cucumbers.

Councillor Thomson said: “I’ve attended various meetings with the fishing industry over this in the last while.

“There’s a genuine feeling of concern that the consultation documents are extremely clunky and extremely difficult to navigate.

“I’m genuinely concerned that the people who need to do the consultation aren’t going to do it because it’s practically impossible given there are thousands of pages of documents to go through.”

Councillor Thomson said it is vital the views of local fishing representatives are fully reflected in the council’s response.

She said: “The sector is struggling and we must support it.

“I’m particularly keen to ensure that any of the restrictions that are brought in will not stifle development.

“There’s a fear that this could be done by stealth so we need to watch out for that.”

She said it is, for example, vital that any move to diversify the local industry into long lining is not blocked.

Councillor Thomson also sought an assurance that Orkney’s ferry services are not impacted.

She said that enhanced environmental assessments have recently delayed OIC applications to secure licences to dredge the approaches to the harbours at Stromness, Flotta, Egilsay, Wyre and Rousay.

Councillor Lindsay Hall said he is aware of concern about the new proposals in areas such as Hoy which he said “is surrounded” by marine conservation areas.

He said: “It sounds very much like it doesn’t matter whether there’s consultation or not, the decision has already been made. I’d like to be assured that that is not the case.

“They are very concerned about this as their livelihoods are at stake.”

Councillor Hall said the ban on scallop dredging is academic as he did not believe it takes place in any of the local areas where the ban is proposed.

“The idea that this happens and it must be prevented is overdoing it. I’d also like to know what current adverse impacts are currently being felt.”

Councillor Owen Tierney said Orkney inshore fishery has traditionally observed sustainable, eco-friendly practices.

Marine planning team manager James Green assured councillors that it has and will continue to work closely with Orkney Fisheries Association and Orkney Regional Inshore Fisheries Group before finalising OIC’s response to the consultation.

He said the main impact of the proposals would be on restrictions on scallop dredging, which he agreed does not take place in the affected areas.

Mr Green said his team is focused on maximising the level of inshore fishing activities while helping conserve internationally recognised marine life.

He said the sea grasses are particularly exposed to dredging giving they grow at one millimetre a year.

Mr Green said the only existing ban on scallop dredging is within the Sanday, and Wyre and Rousay marine conservation areas.

He said this is proposed to extend to other areas while there are restrictions on longlining proposed in areas where rare bird species are thought to be at risk of being entangled in nets.

Mr Green assured Councillor Thomson said any proposals brought forward would not impact on harbour dredging programmes.

Neither would it affect present or future cable laying operations.

“This doesn’t change any activity other than fishing,” said Mr Green.

MPA areas in Orkney are: Calf of Eday; Copinsay; Faray and Holm of Faray; Hoy; Marwick Head; North Orkney; Papa Westray; Rousay; Scapa Flow; Sule Skerry and Sule Stack; and West Westray.

Proposed PMF management areas: Bay of Tuquoy and Bay of Swartmill, both Westray; Copinsay; Hoy Sound (East) to South Walls; Hoy Sound; Eday, Sanday, and Stronsay; Orkney Sounds and Firths; Papa Westray South; and Widewall Bay.