Clyde Fishermen
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S2M-5481, in the name of Phil Gallie, on Clyde fishermen—ahead of the game on conservation. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament applauds the intention of the Clyde Fishermen's Association to stop, voluntarily, trawling in areas of Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Shira in the interests of biodiversity and conservation and notes that such action provides a further example of the fishing industry's commitment to a sustainable environment by adding to the association's weekend ban on fishing in the Clyde estuary, self-imposed some 20 years ago when its awareness of the need for conservation preceded the anxieties now expressed by politicians at European, UK and Scottish government levels.
I thank members who have come to the debate and in particular I thank the members who signed the motion.
The effect of the European Union's common fisheries policy and its annual review, which oversees controls on our dwindling number of fishermen and fishing communities, graphically and cyclically highlights the conservation issue. It is not my intention to provoke a debate on the merits or otherwise of the common fisheries policy, but I have always contended that the people who are closest to the fishing industry are best placed to secure the environment that they have inherited from previous generations of fishermen. It is in their best interests to protect fish stocks and the marine environment for future generations, because fishing is in their blood. I have never met a fisherman who did not want the bloodline to continue. I resent the never-ending stream of regulations and directives that emanates from the European Commission, much of which is based on the commercial and economic interests of EU member states whose coastlines—if they have them—have been fished out.
I am originally from Fife, so my early experience of the fishing industry was one in which there was an endless supply of line haddock, frequently delivered to the door, from fishing villages such as Anstruther, Cellardyke, Crail, St Monans and Pittenweem. How that has changed! Now, only Pittenweem has an active harbour—and only for prawns, I am told.
How much of a role has technology played in bringing about such change, to meet ever-expanding demand? Scottish fishermen have been forced to invest not just in equipment such as navigation aids and sonar but in larger craft, at massive expense.
When I moved to Ayrshire in the mid-1970s, I got the impression that the industry there, based in communities such as Ballantrae, Girvan, Maidens, Dunure, Ayr, Troon and Largs, was still healthy. Sadly, that is no longer the case and only Troon remains as a marketplace for an ever-reducing number of vessels. From my early involvement as a candidate and member of Parliament for Ayr, the changing scenario was brought home to me by local fishermen. Their concerns had arisen not as a result of media headlines and environmental campaigns but because of their interest, and their predecessors' interest, in preserving the valuable assets on which they depended.
The motion refers to the actions of the Clyde Fishermen's Association, of which I am an honorary president, in common with George Lyon, Jamie McGrigor and, in the past, Ray Michie—now Baroness Michie—as well as a champion of the cause, Norman Godman, who I am told is in the public gallery. I lodged the motion after reading the association's January newsletter, "Clyde Fish", which described Clyde fishermen's intention to stop trawling in areas of Loch Fyne and Loch Shira, to preserve seabed vegetation, shellfish and animal life. When I read that, I remembered other self-imposed actions and suggestions for control measures that had been made to Governments of varying colours during the past 20 years. The association's ban on weekend fishing came immediately to mind, as did the arrangements for wider mesh nets and trawling rig limitations.
Over the years conflict arose between the association and scientific opinion that suggested that prawns were in short supply in the Clyde. Happily, bridges have been built since then and links between the association and the local scientific research centres at Millport and Oban are now well established, with the two-way transfer of information proving beneficial to both parties. One benefit, from the fishermen's viewpoint, is the rise in west coast prawn quotas in recent times.
I decided that, for the purpose of the debate, my memory alone would not suffice, so I contacted Patrick Stewart, the secretary of the Clyde Fishermen's Association. I understand that his father, before him, also held that role for many years. Patrick identified a number of steps that have been taken by the forward-thinking Clyde fishermen. Too long ago for my memory, the closure of the Ballantrae banks to protect spring herring stocks brought relief, but failed when an algal bloom struck and nature overcame the good intentions. Apart from the weekend ban to which the motion refers, there have been agreed closures of Loch Ryan and the Gare loch. The Clyde Fishermen's Association has also proposed that the Holy loch, after demilitarisation, should be closed to mobile fishing and has positively suggested an open-air marine lab to study Clyde fish and shellfish. That suggestion has not yet been taken up, but perhaps the minister will comment on it.
The Clyde Fishermen's Association has expressed support for integrated coastal zone management. I understand such a wish, provided that those who understand the coastal environment best—the local fishing communities—are the driving force. To its credit, the Clyde Fishermen's Association is also playing a full part in the Scottish sustainable marine environment initiative and the Firth of Clyde project. It will not stand against the closure of Loch Creran, given the objective of protecting the important serpulid reefs that are found there. Furthermore, Ian Wightman, of the Eiliah Anne of Largs, a CFA stalwart, was the first skipper in the United Kingdom to gain the responsible fishing certificate of the Sea Fish Industry Authority.
On the subject of responsibility, and looking further afield, I make reference to the European Union-imposed discard system, which is ludicrous and wasteful and which does nothing for the sustainability of stocks. Perhaps the minister will comment on the impact that the discard policy is having on the wider Scottish fishing fleet.
I have taken this opportunity to outline the responsible and positive actions that have been taken by the Clyde Fishermen's Association to ensure the long-term sustainability of fish stocks, the fishing industry and the marine environment—actions that I know have been mirrored by other local fishing associations and communities around our coastline. In asking the minister to ensure that the fishing community's voice is placed at the top of her list when she communicates on such issues, I make no further demand than that she acknowledge and commend the contribution to sustainability that has been made by the fishing organisations, especially the Clyde Fishermen's Association.
I congratulate Phil Gallie on gaining the chance for us to discuss how far ahead of the game in conservation the Clyde Fishermen's Association really is. If "ahead of the game" is the best way in which to define it, that is the case on the Clyde.
The members of the Environment and Rural Development Committee have had to deal with the closure of areas to allow spawning, petitions regarding a no-take zone off the Isle of Arran, and the relationship between that matter and the scallop fishermen in Kintyre—in the region that I represent—who are associated with the Clyde Fishermen's Association. It is a complex weave, and I want to reflect some of it in the few minutes that I have.
I agree with Phil Gallie that it is essential for fishermen to take part in initiatives such as the SSMEI, the Clyde pilot and the Firth of Clyde forum. The natural wealth of the Clyde is something from which humans should benefit, and it is important that fishermen are involved in all the discussions.
However, the questions have to be asked: Why were herring and cod there in the past and why do the predatory species no longer exist there? Why are there so many prawns? There are so many prawns because there are fewer haddock and cod. Some means of rebalancing the situation will be required for real biodiversity to be regained. Fishermen have also noticed that some prawns are beginning to be diseased. If that continues, what will happen after the prawns have gone? The Clyde Fishermen's Association has questions to answer in that regard.
In Arran, the Community of Arran Seabed Trust—COAST—has been working to protect and preserve Lamlash bay for more than 10 years. The majority of its members live on Arran and represent 20 per cent of the island's population. On its proposal for a no-take zone, COAST has widely consulted local fishermen, academics, politicians, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Executive, but it has taken more than 10 years to get the Clyde Fishermen's Association on board. Thanks to the fact that the Parliament's Environment and Rural Development Committee took evidence on COAST's petition, both groups were finally able to come together to make an historic agreement. Clyde Fishermen's Association has agreed to some kind of statutory underpinning to a no-take zone in return for a seeding bed for scallops just outside Lamlash bay. The agreement will be of great benefit to the fishermen but it also recognises the need for no-take zones. I am sorry to say, however, that the talks are at such an early stage, we are told, that it is not yet clear what kind of statutory underpinning the zone will have.
However, there is a fly in the ointment: Marine Harvest wants to put a fish farm where the proposed scallop recovery beds are to be sited. That must certainly be tackled because getting the fishermen and the local community to co-operate has provided a wonderful prospect for the future. We must try to build on that example on a wider scale.
I suggest that we should take with a pinch of salt the claims that the Clyde Fishermen's Association has been "ahead of the game". The CFA is certainly in the game and, from the perspective of the Scottish National Party and from the point of view of all the users of the Clyde, we certainly hope that the association will play a full part in what happens in the future.
I congratulate Phil Gallie on securing tonight's debate. I also thank the minister for allowing me to speak as a constituency MSP in the debate, which is on a subject that is close to my heart.
I, too, declare an interest in that, like Phil Gallie, I am an honorary vice-president—I am not sure that I am an honorary president—of the Clyde Fishermen's Association. I first came into contact with the association on my election back in 1999, when I was invited to attend its annual general meeting and lunch. That event is certainly a very interesting afternoon that carries with it its own reputation, which I shall perhaps mention towards the end of my speech.
Before being elected to Parliament, I was invited by my good friend Kenny MacNab, who is a past president of the Clyde Fishermen's Association, to spend a day with him at sea so that I could see exactly what issues faced the fishing industry. Believe me when I say that, coming from a background in agriculture, I was used to hard work, but the work in the fishing industry looked even harder.
The Clyde Fishermen's Association exists to represent its members, the majority of whom use small family-owned fishing vessels, as is the tradition around the Clyde. Usually, the boats are under 400 horsepower. The fishermen work only Monday to Friday and no weekend working is allowed. The landings are mostly of prawns, with some scallops, at the ports of Campbeltown, Tarbert, Carradale, Rothesay and the Ayrshire ports that my good friend, Phil Galllie, mentioned earlier.
In some ways, the Clyde fishermen are unique. In many other sectors, fisheries are dominated by industrial fishing by boats that spend many weeks away at sea and that have much greater horsepower. The traditional family fishing industry in the Clyde is unique–the Clyde Fishermen's Association wishes to protect it. The association has a good track record in ensuring that fish stocks are preserved. We need only look at the history of the Clyde villages to realise that overfishing removed the herring and the cod that dominated the fishing industry in those villages and which supported many communities on the Clyde in the past.
I want to mention the closure of the Firth of Lorne special area of conservation. I could spend time debating whether that closure is right or wrong, but the important point is the impact that it will have on the McLaughlin family, who are scallop dredgers based on Luing. I have raised the matter with ministers on a number of occasions and I have had a constructive response to my representations on the family's behalf. Ministers acknowledge the need for a package of measures that will provide the McLaughlin family with a viable future. Ultimately, with the closure of the SAC, the state is intervening and taking away their financial future and future fishing from that area. I ask that decisions be made as soon as possible so that the McLaughlins are reassured that they have a future and understand what assistance will be made available to protect that future.
On behalf of the Clyde Fishermen's Association, I extend an invitation to the minister—if she happens to be in her role past May—to the next annual general meeting and lunch, which will be held in the Holiday Inn in Glasgow. The minister will need a strong constitution, some good stories and—depending on the subject of the debate—a hard hat. It is a fantastic afternoon and the minister will enjoy some great companionship.
I am happy to debate the motion in the name of Phil Gallie because it relates directly to work that the Environment and Rural Development Committee, of which I am deputy convener, has been doing lately. I have not signed the motion because, although I agree with some of it and I always want to acknowledge the efforts of any group towards conservation, I feel that the historical context makes the motion a bit—dare I say it?—complacent.
Much of what I am going to say will not be my own words but those of people who have submitted evidence to the committee during its inquiry into Scotland's marine environment. I will not read out the names, but it is all in the public domain, on the committee's website. Here is part of a submission from a sea angler:
"In the late 60's and 70's before intensive inshore trawling destroyed the upper Clyde and its sea lochs there were scores of Angling charter boats, hire boats, hotel trade and tackle shops (Dumbarton and the Vale area had four tackle shops at that time) catering for the demand from sea anglers. Thousands of anglers from all over the UK and even a few from abroad came to fish these waters, indeed European cod festivals were held on the Clyde, the Clyde had the title European Cod capital. All this was lost to allow a few inshore trawlers to systematically destroy the area and after a few short years leave it a ploughed up marine desert. Now there are no specialist tackle shops in the Dumbarton/Vale area and no charter boats in the upper Clyde.
In 2001 after more than 20 years of lying barren upper Loch Fyne showed some signs of a small recovery and anglers flocked from all over Scotland to enjoy the revival, indeed a local boat hirer began operating from Furnace. It didn't last long as the commercial fishing fleet from further down the Clyde got wind of it and just one or two trawlers arrived and in less than a year turned upper loch Fyne back to a barren desert before departing to there more usual grounds."
The next submission comes from a charter skipper, who said:
"In 1969 as a young boy I came to the Clyde for the first time on a fishing trip. Coming from rural England this was a great experience. Cod to 40 pounds was the big lure that brought anglers from all over England. Over the winter period thousands would come filling local hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation.
My dream was to own and work an angling boat in the Clyde. In 1985 the future looked bright when this dream became a reality with the help of a Scottish Tourist Board grant. I was able to purchase my boat … I was not alone at this time. There were 40 other angling boats working the Clyde providing employment to local people and contributing millions to the economy. The Arran Fishing Festival is long gone and I am the only full time sea angling boat left in the Clyde. There is so little fish now. How could things have got so bad in such a short time?
Shore angling has suffered too. The White Horse Fishing Festival where over 2000 anglers took part is also gone. On the last occasion the festival was cancelled due to lack of fish—not one cod was caught.
I could go on. The price for lack of fish has been paid for with people's livelihood and the cost to the economy must be considerable. Anglers have also paid a heavy price with lack of fish. There are no winners only losers.
Today I believe we are at our lowest point. Some very difficult decisions have to be made and very soon. Our inshore waters are vulnerable to over fishing and exploitation. I hope that I will not be the last full-time charter skipper in the Clyde."
As I said, those are not my words; they are the words of people who are much closer to the issue than I am. I am certainly not placing the blame for the decline of stocks entirely on the Clyde fishermen; as we all know, such a decline involves many factors.
I want to end on a slightly more optimistic note. Rob Gibson mentioned the COAST project, which was also highlighted during the Environment and Rural Development Committee's marine environment inquiry. The Clyde Fishermen's Association is to be praised for coming on board that project and agreeing to leave Lamlash bay unfished in exchange for the introduction of a scallop-seeding project. However, as Mr Gibson pointed out, there is a cloud on the horizon—and it has been caused not by fishing, but by aquaculture. Marine Harvest wants to put cages in Lamlash bay. I am sure that the Clyde Fishermen's Association and I agree that that should not happen.
I congratulate Phil Gallie on securing a debate on a subject that I know is close to his heart. As he said, he has a long association with the Clyde fishermen and they and, indeed, many other groups and people of all political persuasions throughout Ayrshire will miss his robust and vigorous endeavours on behalf of his constituents. Although we often take issue with his views, we all admire his devotion to doing his best for anyone who seeks his help. That said, this Parliament's loss after May will be a gain for others, and I am sure that the Scottish body politic will not have heard the last of Phil Gallie when he finishes here.
Phil Gallie's central point was that fishing communities have a vested interest in sustaining their livelihoods, which means protecting fish stocks and the marine environment from overexploitation. Even in this short debate, I have learned quite a lot about the subject from Phil Gallie, Rob Gibson and Eleanor Scott, and I now have a better understanding of what has happened to the fish stocks in the Clyde area.
Mr Gallie also gave us chapter and verse on how the Clyde fishermen are managing their activities to ensure that their industry and way of life thrive into the future. He is certainly right to draw the attention of the public and the minister to their responsible behaviour and actions, and to remind us all that the fishermen and their associations are our key advisors in the development of fishing policy. Their views—and, of course, all the scientific evidence—must be given due weight in our considerations.
I am pleased to have participated in this debate, which has certainly educated me about fishing in the Clyde. Again, I thank Phil Gallie for securing it.
I, too, congratulate Phil Gallie on securing this important and long overdue debate. His motion congratulates the Clyde Fishermen's Association on its attempts to conserve stocks—and rightly so. The Scottish fishing industry has done far more for conservation than any other European fishing fleet; it has gone through a great deal of pain and has made many sacrifices in the process, but instead of being rewarded for its efforts, the industry has often been further penalised by bodies that seek to micromanage fisheries from afar.
The Clyde Fishermen's Association has always taken the lead in conservation. I well remember its efforts with regard to special gear for scallop fishermen that would allow small scallops to slip through the rings. Moreover, the association proposed a limit on the number of scallop dredges that are used by fishing boats. They were the Scottish pioneers of that method of fishing and, of course, they want scallop fishing to remain sustainable. They were forced to live through a period when scallop fishing was banned in many areas, even though there had been not a single case of illness attributable to consumption of scallops. Little thanks did they get for their patience during that desolate period.
I know well the areas of Loch Fyne and Loch Shira that Phil Gallie mentions in his motion because I have often swum in them. They are important to trawlers from the Tarbert fishing fleet. It is a credit to the Clyde Fishermen's Association that it has voluntarily ceased trawling to protect biodiversity and to conserve the shallow tops of the sea lochs.
Trawlers come in for a lot of stick: they are sometimes blamed for overfishing prawn stocks in comparison with the softer method of creel fishing. However, having been out in prawn trawlers and done creel fishing, I am bound to say that the bycatch of trawlers is minimal. Also, trawlers often fish the prawns when they are down in their burrows in the mud and not up on top. Sometimes, therefore, they do not catch fish, whereas a creel will fish for 24 hours a day. Fishermen with too many creels are more likely to overfish than trawlers. Creel fishermen on Loch Fyne have, on the whole, managed to live with trawlers. Trawlers can avoid snagging and damaging creels as long as the creels are properly marked. If people act sensibly, there is room for both methods of fishing.
I am disappointed that the CFA was not properly consulted on the closure of the Firth of Lorne. George Lyon spoke of the difficulties that one family is facing—there are particular difficulties for the industry on the island of Luing. The closure has led to the loss of livelihood of a family that has happily avoided for 40 years the coral reefs that the ban seeks to protect. No sensible scallop fishers would dredge near the reefs for fear of losing their gear. The firth could easily have remained open while experiments were done.
I hear the CFA's plea for a United Kingdom approach to marine spatial planning based on the regional sea. The CFA played an important role in the Irish sea pilot, which was a Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs initiative to review and propose improvements to marine nature conservation in UK waters. It would be tragic if the sensitivities of the devolution settlement led to the sabotage of a team effort of such importance to the protection of our marine environment. I ask the minister to examine the matter without further delay.
I also ask the minister to consider the CFA's proposal for a marine laboratory at Holy loch, where the fishermen wanted to stop fishing after demilitarisation. It may have been that they were worried about what they might pull up in their nets, but a marine laboratory could act as an open window on the effects on fish and shellfish of climate change and global warming. The Executive should examine the CFA's proposal and liaise with it more closely.
First, I join colleagues in congratulating Phil Gallie on raising the matter and giving us the chance to discuss not only the laudable step that the Clyde Fishermen's Association has taken but other issues and pressures that affect our inshore fisheries. Phil Gallie made a reflective speech. It is unusual that we all agree with him, so I also congratulate him on that.
The fact that the CFA agreed voluntarily to stop trawling in areas of Loch Fyne and Loch Shira in the interests of biodiversity and conservation is commendable. The key beneficiary of the action is the firework anemone, which is present in the area. It is a burrowing sea anemone that is found in deepwater mud habitats and can grow up to 30cm in length. It is susceptible to physical disturbance, so it is good that the CFA has put in place a self-limiting process. The firework anemone is present extensively in the area concerned, which is an indication of good biodiversity and that the area is relatively undisturbed. That is a good-news story.
I am keen on initiatives that involve stakeholders from different sectors and which have multiple benefits. I am pleased that the CFA has worked with the Argyll Fisheries Trust, the district salmon fisheries board and Argyll and Bute Council on the initiative. Partnership is the way forward on some of the difficult issues and projects to which colleagues have referred. A range of multi-agency initiatives are under way in the Clyde. The project that is mentioned in the motion is one of four pilot management schemes that are being prepared under the Scottish sustainable marine environment initiative. The Clyde and Sound of Mull projects aim to deliver an improved integrated management plan to help ensure the sustainable management of local marine resources. They are welcome initiatives.
There is also the Clyde fisheries development project, one objective of which is to develop and promote best practice in the operation and management of Clyde fisheries. The project includes a set of quality environmental standards and involves a range of organisations, including the Clyde Fishermen's Association, Scottish Creelers and Divers, Seafish, Scottish Natural Heritage and WWF. Another initiative is the Community of Arran Seabed Trust's proposals for Lamlash bay, which Rob Gibson and Eleanor Scott mentioned. The proposal has developed into a marine management project that aims at involving areas in which fishing is controlled and managed. Scallop enhancement proposals are also involved. Crucially, in addition to the input by the Firth of Clyde forum, SNH and Fisheries Research Services, the proposal has been developed jointly by COAST and the Clyde Fishermen's Association.
From previous discussions in the Environment and Rural Development Committee and with Allan Wilson, who is a strong supporter of COAST, I know that there is a great deal of enthusiasm for and momentum behind the project. I will update colleagues on further progress that has been made on that initiative. SNH has helpfully prepared and will soon circulate a paper setting out the possible next steps for the project. My expectation is that the paper will help the acceleration of the initiative. To clarify, and for the record, the Scottish Executive remains committed to supporting the project and to the statutory underpinning for the restrictions and closures that would be required as part of the work.
Another initiative is the Scottish Executive's development of the Clyde inshore fisheries group, which will be one of up to 12 such groups throughout the country. That mechanism will provide for the management of the Clyde inshore fisheries to be devolved to local fishing interests. However, that will not be fisheries management in isolation. Those who are involved in the group will be required to take account of the requirements and aspirations of others who are involved in or dependent on our inshore marine environment.
Colleagues will have noticed a common theme in my comments—the Clyde Fishermen's Association is involved in every one of the initiatives that I have mentioned. To me, that shows a willingness to engage on a wide range of issues with a diverse range of organisations and it demonstrates an awareness and understanding of those organisations' aims and objectives, despite the fact that many of them will differ with the association from time to time. The process is about people bringing their perspectives to the table. Phil Gallie asked me to say that we consider fishermen's organisations to be crucial to the future partnership discussions. I say on the record that I agree fully with that.
It is important to note that each of those initiatives has a scientific basis, to varying degrees. In particular, the Executive is keen for the inshore fisheries groups to have access to science and research so that the management proposals that the groups develop have a sound evidence base, and appropriate monitoring or evaluation is incorporated. That is one issue that I will certainly take away from the debate. Jamie McGrigor asked me to examine the DEFRA proposal that is currently being considered. I am happy to consider that further and ensure that progress is made. A couple of members mentioned science and research. I will certainly take their points on board for our future discussions of the development of fisheries science.
I welcome the work that has been done thus far. George Lyon and Jamie McGrigor referred to the Firth of Lorn SAC. George Lyon referred to the importance of family-scale fishing interests and the importance of responsible fishing to encourage conservation and sustainable sea fisheries. He was right to say that discussions are on-going, and I reassure colleagues with a particular interest that although the issue is challenging in some ways, we expect progress to be made shortly.
I welcome the step that Phil Gallie has highlighted in his motion. We welcome the Clyde Fishermen's Association's initiative in Loch Shira and Loch Fyne, and its appreciation of the need to take account of broader issues—not least, the environmental issues. As Eleanor Scott said, difficult and sensitive choices will have to be made. We will have to get people round the table to discuss those choices.
I hope that the next step will be to take the debate further. For example, I hope that the Clyde Fishermen's Association might consider shifting the depths slightly further in the boundary of the fishing area, from 20m to 30m. I am told that a small step such as that would result in a significantly wider area of habitat for the firework anemone, thus giving it further protection.
We probably all have specific issues that we would like to discuss tonight. I look forward to hearing further examples of the Clyde Fishermen's Association—and other fishermen's associations around Scotland—moving ahead of the game and being involved in other management proposals from the inshore fisheries groups, to ensure sustainability in fisheries management and to help maintain and improve our marine environment. That is an exciting challenge.
I thank all the members who have offered specific proposals and ideas tonight. I hope that we can take these issues forward as we consider marine issues over the next few months.
Meeting closed at 17:46.