Condensed from an article on the Arran Voice website.

The No Take Zone (NTZ) in Lamlash Bay is failing due to regular illegal scallop dredging in the area. Scottish Green party MSPs have taken up the cudgels on behalf of COAST, and have also criticised the Scottish Government for its failure to establish a wider Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Bay more than a year after it was promised by Ministers.

The NTZ became law more than a year ago, on Friday 19 September 2008, and was proudly announced by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead.

According to Patrick Harvie MSP ‘There is now clear evidence that the No Take Zone in Lamlash Bay is still being dredged for scallops, despite its protected status and the banning of dredging in that area.’ and ’If the Scottish Government cannot stop illegal dredging in a small area that is close to shore and is overlooked by the local community, what hope does that give us that the proposed network of Marine Protected Areas …will be properly delivered and enforced?’

Howard Wood from COAST said ‘We can only stand and watch helplessly from the shore as scallop dredgers with their identities hidden enter the area in the dark and dredge the NTZ. We have attempted to report this illegal activity, but we have been met with a wall of silence and inaction from both the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and the Scottish Government.

“We are also concerned with the Minister’s claim that there has been progress towards the establishment of the wider Marine Protected Area in Lamlash Bay, as this is just not the case. We are no nearer having the Marine Protected Area than we were a year ago, and this is largely due to stonewalling, inactivity and intransigence on the part of local fishermen and their friends the Cabinet Secretary and his officials.

SSACN – If the commercial sector cannot even respect less than 0.01% of the Clyde what chance is there that the commercial only Inshore Fisheries Groups (IFGs) will deliver any positive benefit to the biodiversity of our inshore waters ???

Related posts:

1. Arran NTZ – Still waiting
2. No respect – No idea