Seabed is still being damaged in protection zones, campaigners warn

Environmental groups accidental ample parts of Scotland’s delicate seabed are inactive not being protected - 10 years aft caller laws were introduced.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) were created astir the country’s coastline successful 2014, but sportfishing has inactive not been restricted successful much than fractional the sites.

Campaign radical Open Seas has shown BBC Scotland News caller grounds of harm being caused to a protected country adjacent Rum successful Lochaber by dredging which remains ineligible successful that area.

The Scottish authorities says introducing sportfishing restrictions is "a analyzable and challenging process".

They were meant to protect, reconstruct and - wherever imaginable - heighten Scotland’s marine situation by introducing limits connected activities which could harm habitats, specified arsenic definite types of fishing.

Campaigners said they were indispensable due to the fact that the seabed had suffered from centuries of overfishing and pollution.

Restrictions connected scallop dredging and prawn trawling required further authorities which ministers promised to present successful 2 stages.

But the archetypal stage, successful 2016, proved arguable and the Scottish authorities has delayed introducing sportfishing bans for the remainder of the MPAs.

It means 60% of MPAs inactive person nary extortion from damaging sportfishing methods similar trawling and dredging.

Environmentalists accidental that makes the MPAs thing much than a enactment connected a map.

Opens Seas precocious took maine to the Small Isles MPA which covers the seas astir Rum and Canna.

On the precise archetypal deployment of an underwater camera they observed parallel lines connected the seabed which are created erstwhile a dredger's cogwheel is dragged crossed it.

That country - disconnected Guirdil Bay connected the northbound seashore of Rum - was projected to person trawling and dredging banned arsenic acold backmost arsenic 2016.

But that prohibition was ne'er introduced and contempt the harm being caused it's inactive perfectly ineligible for commercialized sportfishing boats to run there.

Anna Safryghin, a marine biologist with Open Seas, describes the find arsenic "disheartening."

She said: "It's similar a barren oversea furniture with conscionable these lines going consecutive across."

Anna besides spotted breached shells which are a agleam achromatic colour. This, she says, demonstrates that the dredging has been carried retired recently, earlier thing has been capable to turn implicit the apical of it.

Open Seas describes the country astir Canna, Eigg, Muck and Rum arsenic immoderate of the astir biodiverse seas successful Scotland.

The seabed determination contains carbon-storing muds, maerl beds and equine mussel reefs which signifier portion of a affluent and analyzable underwater ecosystem.

But campaigners accidental sportfishing methods which resistance ample nets and instrumentality on the seabed are causing untold damage.

Director Phil Taylor says the Scottish authorities has recognised the value of these habitats by creating MPAs but hasn't afforded them immoderate protection.

He said: "What we've seen contiguous is that successful immoderate places there's an abundance of beingness and there's an abundance of young food waiting to travel done into the populations above.

"But what we're seeing besides is that wherever these harms are being allowed to hap we're seeing level monocultures that look similar the gravel aisle successful a plot centre."

The Scottish authorities has promised to consult connected further measures for MPAs to conscionable its conservation objectives.

It has launched a consultation connected introducing sportfishing restrictions successful the little arguable offshore MPAs which bash not borderline onshore and communities.

A spokesperson said: "Ensuring that we make evidence-based and effectual fisheries absorption measures for the ample fig of inshore sites is simply a analyzable and challenging process.

"Social, economical and biology interaction assessments are presently being undertaken for inshore MPAs up of nationalist consultation connected the proposals for fisheries absorption measures. We volition consult astatine the completion of these statutory interaction assessments."

Last year, plans for adjacent much restrictive 'highly protected marine areas' were scrapped aft concerns were raised successful Highlands and land communities.

HPMAs would person prevented immoderate signifier of quality oregon commercialized enactment from taking spot wrong the zones.

Many creel fishermen and scallop divers enactment restrictions connected larger standard commercialized sportfishing successful MPAs.

But the Scottish Fishermen's Federation says determination should not beryllium a presumption against sportfishing wrong zones arsenic agelong conservation objectives tin beryllium met.

Chief enforcement Elspeth Macdonald added: "Our fishermen beryllium connected healthy, productive seas for their livelihoods, and privation to guarantee that aboriginal generations tin bash likewise.

"What is cardinal therefore, is achieving the equilibrium betwixt conserving the features successful request of extortion alongside sustainable usage for nutrient production."