Scottish Conservatives in call to scrap Marine Directorate
In the run up to the Scottish Parliamentary election on 7 May, the Conservatives have set out the changes they want to see in rural and fisheries policy – including abolishing the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate as a separate agency.
The Conservative party’s Rural Manifesto “Standing Up for Rural Scotland” says: “We would incorporate the Marine Directorate into the core Scottish Government and improve communication with the fishing industry regarding the patrolling of our waters and data on fish stocks.”
The manifesto also states: “Instead of supporting our vital fishing industry, the SNP spent half of the last parliamentary session trying to impose reckless Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), which would have devastated Scotland’s fishing industry. While Labour’s unfair trade deals have betrayed Scottish fishermen.
“The Scottish Conservatives will show our unwavering support for this vital part of the rural economy by offering our fishing sector a better deal.”
The Conservatives have also promised muti-annual funding for the industry, a capital grant scheme for fish processing and a moratorium on further offshore wind development.
On aquaculture, the manifesto says: “We would work with industry to ensure that world leading aquaculture practices and welfare measures are in place while protecting the jobs provided by the sector.”
Rural renewal promised
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has promised £75m for a Rural and Island Housing Fund and a new Rural Renewal Bill to introduce planning and land ownership reform and review industry levy bodies across the rural and marine sectors.
On aquaculture, the SNP manifesto says: “We are committed to improving fish welfare and streamlining consenting processes to support innovation and investment which is crucial to the future of the aquaculture sector. Central to this will be the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre [sic: this is now the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster] which we will continue to support.”
The Labour manifesto pledges to prioritise “rural-specific” industries in the party’s industrial strategy, and to commission a strategic review of local abattoirs and fish processing facilities. On the fishing sector, it says it will reform fisheries quota management, incentivising more sustainable fishing practices.
Labour would introduce a new Marine Plan “so there is clarity for all industries within Scottish waters”.
The Scottish Greens’ manifesto says: “The Scottish Greens will put the long-term health of ecosystems and communities at the heart of every marine decision, so both people and the planet can have a future.
“Central to this system will be community-led decision making, so that each of our unique marine regions will be managed in a way that chimes with local factors.”
This local approach arguably represents a change from the Greens’ position in coalition with the SNP, when the Scottish Government announced plans to roll out highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) based on centrally taken decisions.
The Greens’ opposition to fish farming is well established, and the manifesto says: “The Scottish Greens are not afraid to stand up to the huge international corporations that threaten our waters with industrial-scale fish farming. We will pause new salmon farms and the expansion of existing ones until strict fish welfare and mortality rules are met.”
The party says 30% of Scotland’s inshore waters would be designated as low impact fishing zones, where “destructive practices” including bottom trawling and scallop dredging are banned.
Solving the spatial squeeze
Reform is promising a package of measures to support the Scottish fishing industry, including a new apprenticeship scheme and negotiating for a better deal on quotas. Like the Conservatives, Reform is against any new offshore wind farms.
The Liberal Democrats’ manifesto says: “Aquaculture is a source of high-quality well-paid jobs in many of Scotland’s most economically fragile communities. It must be held to high environmental standards and we will work with industry to promote the marketing of this valuable export commodity overseas.”
As well as a package of reforms to help rural communities generally, the Liberal Democrat manifesto addresses marine issues, including promises to:
- Address the impacts of spatial squeeze by striking a new settlement on space-based planning for Scotland’s seas and creating cable corridors, involving communities in planning, respecting local knowledge, and ensuring the right activity happens in the right place.
- Oppose any repeat of the top-down Highly Protected Marine Areas proposals, instead ensuring that government always works in close partnership with the coastal, island and fishing communities who know their area best.
- Encourage the use of regional marine plans, reviewing whether the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate is fit for purpose, and examining replacing it with decentralised, inclusive and locally appropriate decision-making to avoid one-size-fits-all approaches and manage waters as locally as possible.
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