A voluntary closure on scallop fishing has been implemented in Loch Sunart by the West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (WCRIFG). It is hoped the closure – which came into eThect on Monday October 1 and will continue until midnight on Wednesday October 31 – will minimise the risks posed by a potentially large ingress of vessels fishing in Loch Sunart since the loch opens a month earlier than others on the west coast.
Alastair McNeill, WCRIFG chairman, said: ‘Loch Sunart opens to scallopers a month earlier than other west coast waters,’ he said. ‘RIFG members fear this could lead to Loch Sunart being targeted in advance of alternative scallop areas opening in November. Members have retained the option to extend the voluntary closure beyond October 31 and will review the position when the management committee meets on October 30.’The order is in place to protect common skate. Once common around the entire British coast, common skates are now confined to Scottish west coast waters and Orkney as the result of unsustainable fishing practices in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Voluntary closures by the WCRIFG, since the designation was implemented in 2016, have generally been observed. WCRIFG has requested the Scottish Government amend the opening period of Loch Sunart to November 1 each year consistent with other west coast waters, negating the need for voluntary closure.