Carmichael welcomes new report on fisheries spatial squeeze

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has welcomed the release this week of a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fisheries, suggesting solutions to the growing competition for space in UK waters. The report follows discussions in Parliament in November last year between politicians and industry stakeholders on the best way to manage competing needs (including environmental protection and energy development) without solely squeezing out local fishermen.

Seven recommendations were made in the discussions:

• Apply the precautionary principle to all marine plans and activities
• Link up all Government departments, Parliamentary bodies, and statutory agencies involved
• Fund and otherwise facilitate the fishing industry to collect comprehensive data on where fishing takes place in UK waters
• Establish a statutory adviser to represent the fishing industry in consultations
• Ensure that fishers are consulted as early as possible in development processes
• Encourage consultation and feedback processes after planning decisions
• Establish a clear regulatory regime to overcome insurance and liability concerns which are acting as barriers to co-location with offshore infrastructure

Responding to the report, Mr Carmichael said:

“Having raised the growing concerns for the fishing industry around spatial squeeze in Parliament for some time I am enormously pleased to see this report arrive. It reinforces exactly what fishermen have been saying. The industry does not object to sharing our seas with others – they simply do not want to be the first cut out of discussions.

“This report makes clear that the biggest problem in managing spatial squeeze is in the lack of big picture thinking in government. I am sure that Scottish and UK ministers do not intend for fishing grounds to be curtailed – perhaps with a few exceptions – but the lack of consultation and openness is having exactly that effect. The best solution to this problem is to bring everyone affected into the discussions from the start.

“There is no reason why fishermen, energy developers and everyone else making use of our seas cannot come to an equitable balance of interests. If ministers and officials take this report for their inspiration then they will be off to a good start.”