Industry chiefs will meet Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead on Monday to convey their anger over new management measures for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which they say threaten the future of inshore fisheries off the west coast of Scotland.
The Scottish Government revealed the measures for 11 inshore MPAs and nine Special Areas of Conservation last month.
Fishers are furious, saying they go far beyond the defined purpose of the MPA project, prohibiting fishing over much greater sea areas than they had expected.
Scottish Fishermen’s Federation chief executive Bertie Armstrong said yesterday there was now a strong feeling in the industry that the measures represent a significant breach of trust.
He added: “The Scottish fishing industry fully supports the rational protection of the marine environment and …continued sustainable use of the sea.
“A comprehensive plan, containing much concession and compromise by the fishing industry, was forged.
“The cabinet secretary’s actual decisions have disregarded the orderly process which went before and overreached mightily in placing restrictions which will damage local communities. For the life of us, we do not know why he has done this and will be seeking an explanation.
“We are now very concerned about what support we may be able to rely on from the Scottish Government, having just had an example of effective abandonment.”