Shutting vast swathes of the sea “for no other reason than to meet political targets” is “nothing short of scandalous”, a Scottish fishing chief has said.
Mike Park was speaking as the clock ticks down on a Scottish Government consultation on its controversial proposals for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs).
Another industry leader, Elspeth Macdonald, branded the plans as “greenwashing”.
And Banff and Buchan Tory MP David Duguid claimed they were “the biggest threat to the north-east fishing industry for decades”.
But the government hailed its proposals as “a step change in the protection of our marine environment”.
It aims to have at least 10% of Scottish waters designated as HPMAs by 2026.
This is one of the outcomes of the Bute House Agreement, a shared policy programme between the government and Scottish Greens.
Guidelines for identifying and selecting HPMAs were drafted by NatureScot and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the public body that advises the UK Government and devolved administrations on international nature conservation.
The exact areas, which will have “strict limits on fishing” and other human activities, have yet to be decided.
A consultation on the proposals, aimed at allowing “marine ecosystems to recover and thrive”, runs until March 20.
A similar consultation for five HPMAs in English waters took place last year.