THE Scottish Government is to request the transfer of powers to allow it designate Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) beyond the currently imposed limit of 12 nautical miles.
The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition, Mairi McAllan, announced that as part of the government’s plans to highly protect 10% of Scotland’s waters by 2026 she would be requesting that the UK Government hand over more powers concerning marine protection.
She said: “Despite the marine environment being a largely devolved issue, and one for which Scotland has a strong track record, decision making on the marine environment beyond 12 nautical miles remains largely under UK Government control.
“This means that decisions about how those waters are managed currently rest not with the Scottish Parliament, but in London with those who sold out our marine sectors through a disastrous Brexit.
“It would be our intention to seek powers to designate Highly Protected Marine Areas in Scottish waters beyond 12 nautical miles, and I have begun the process of discussing this with the UK Government.
“Although necessary in this case, in reality these powers over Scotland’s resources should already be in Scotland, and with Scotland’s democratically elected Parliament.
“Only with independence can the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament take the right decisions for Scotland, based on local knowledge and tailored to Scotland’s unique needs and circumstances.”
The government’s plans for HPMAs have been met with opposition from many coastal communities, who fear the conservation measures will detrimentally impact local economies reliant upon the sea.
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If an area is designated as a HPMA then the vast majority of human activities which may result in negative impacts on the environment would be forbidden within its boundaries.
As such, fishing, aquaculture, oil and gas exploration, seaweed harvesting, and offshore wind developments would all be banned within HPMAs.
While environmentalists have welcomed the proposals as a necessary measure to protect Scotland’s marine habitat, they have caused division within the SNP.
Last month, three SNP MSPs – Alasdair Allan, Kate Forbes, and Fergus Ewing – rebelled against the government during a debate on HPMAs in Holyrood, with three others abstaining.
A public consultation on the HPMA proposals closed in April. McAllan added that the specific sites of HPMAs in Scotland are yet to be decided.
“Our recent consultation on our approach to developing Highly Protected Marine Areas in Scotland has now closed.
“We are still at a very early stage and no sites have been selected. We are continuing to engage with island and coastal communities and marine industries to ensure their concerns and views are listened to and understood.
“As part of this process I am looking forward to visiting coastal and island communities over the summer to hear from them directly.”
But SNP MP Angus MacNeil poured scorn upon McAllan’s plan to request additional powers from the UK Government, telling the Daily Record that “no one can complain” when Westminster blocks such legislation.
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He said: "Not content with idiotic legislation in other areas, the Bute House Agreement with the Greens is spawning the most idiotic attempts at legislation with the Highly Protected Marine Areas.
"Given the current Scot Government prioritises idiotic legislation over independence and as a result chooses by default to remain tied to Westminster, no one can complain then when Westminster for whatever reason, political games or sound reasons, then goes and blocks it.
"Scotland needs a Government focused on independence not idiotic legislation."
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