Moray MP Douglas Ross has slammed local SNP and Green representatives for failing to stand up for fishing and coastal communities in relation to Highly Protected Marine Areas.
Douglas’ criticism comes after the Scottish Conservatives forced a vote in the Scottish Parliament on the highly controversial plans which would see a further 10 per cent of Scottish waters designated as highly protected areas.
They have been roundly rejected by the fishing sector as well as local authorities including Shetland, Orkney, Western Isles and Argyll and Bute Council.
SNP MSPs including Fergus Ewing, Kate Forbes and Alasdair Allan did vote against their own government’s amendment to the Scottish Conservative motion – but other local SNP-Green MSPs including Banff and Buchan MSP Karen Adam, and Highlands and Islands MSP Emma Roddick and Ariane Burgess voted with the nationalist coalition.
Moray MSP Richard Lochhead did not participate in the vote at all, leading Douglas to call on him to urgently clarify what his position is on highly protected marine areas.
Douglas says that the proposals would effectively stop fishermen from fishing and “destroy” livelihoods and the SNP-Green ministers must urgently scrap their current plans.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “The SNP-Green government’s plans for highly protected marine areas would be absolutely devastating for our fishing sector and coastal communities if they were to go ahead.
“Some SNP MSPs stood up for their constituents in the debate led by the Scottish Conservatives but others failed to find their backbone and were found sorely wanting.
“These proposals would destroy livelihoods and would effectively stop fishermen from fishing. The fishing sector and local authorities could not have made their opposition any clearer to the plans, yet many SNP and Green MSPs sheepishly followed party lines.
“MSPs like Karen Adam, Emma Roddick and Ariane Burgess should be ashamed at failing to stand shoulder to shoulder with our coastal communities.
“And Moray’s MSP Richard Lochhead – who didn’t participate in the vote at all – needs to urgently clarify what his position is on these plans and if he is going to put his constituents above his ministerial role.
“I was proud that the Scottish Conservatives forced a vote on these plans and it is time the SNP-Green politicians listened to our communities and scrap their current plans as urgently as possible.”