CARMICHAEL CONDEMNS SNP SNUB OF SHETLAND MARINE PLAN

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has condemned the “disgraceful response” of the SNP government after it emerged that they had ignored Shetland’s Regional Marine Plan when imposing economic link rules on local fishermen. The news, first reported by the Shetland Times, comes after a wave of outcry against the SNP economic link policy by pelagic fishermen over recent months.

Advocacy group Open Seas has accused ministers of failing to properly consider the Shetland Islands Regional Marine Plan when it introduced the “economic link” licensing requirement for vessels to land at least 70 per cent of mackerel and herring in Scotland. The economic link has been met with strong opposition from pelagic fishing communities.

Ministers have a legal obligation to consider national and regional marine plans when making policy decisions around Scottish waters. In a Freedom of Information response to Open Seas, the Scottish government claimed there were no regional marine plans in effect when it took the decision, despite the fact that Shetland’s plan had already been published.

Open Seas has said that the response raised questions about the legality of Scottish government fisheries licensing decisions which have affected Shetland, and that the Scottish government was showing a “disregard” for its legal duties.

Shetland fishermen previously launched a legal challenge against economic link rules in 2023, and Open Seas said this latest revelation may again raise questions about the legality of the SNP government’s approach.

Mr Carmichael said:

“The SNP government slow-rolled the Shetland Regional Marine Plan for months on end and this disgraceful response shows exactly why – they never had any intention of following it. The SNP’s economic link rules are crippling the pelagic fleet – and they could not care less about accountability to our islands.

“It is the SNP treatment of fishing and island communities in a nutshell: promises of “island-proofing” and “marine plans” that are supposed to protect our interests – but turn out to be nothing more than political spin. Whatever the SNP rhetoric about our fishing fleet when an election is on the approach, this is their record: contempt and disinterest.

“I may no longer be a practising solicitor, but if the SFA were my clients, I suspect I would be telling them to start preparing for another judicial review. That may be the only way to make the Scottish Government sit up and listen.”

Open Seas director Phil Taylor said:

“Marine plans exist to make sure that ministers balance the interests of the different groups, including businesses, which operate in our seas.

“Considering them in making decisions is not optional – it is a fundamental legal duty. The fact that Scottish Ministers claim the SIRMP does not exist is extraordinary.

“While ministers are well behind schedule on a huge range of marine commitments, we were glad to see them finally approving the Shetland plan and start moving towards giving different regions a greater say over what happens in the seas off their coasts.

“Yet there is no point in creating a plan to govern what happens in the sea off Shetland if officials then ignoring it.

“By disregarding the Shetland regional marine plan, the government isn’t just denying its responsibilities, it is denying reality.”