Scottish Fishermen’s Federation fury at ‘spatial squeeze’ slur
11th March 2025
A briefing by a Scottish government official to Scotland’s first minister on the line he should take on marine space when speaking with fishermen has outraged the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF).
First minister John Swinney was advised ahead of a visit to Shetland last year in a briefing marked ‘Official – Sensitive’ that the fishing industry ‘are liable to outline concerns in relation to their perception of increasing pressure on use of the marine space – in particular, pressure arising from the network of Marine Protected Areas, the expansion of offshore wind development, and increasingly litigious/active eNGOs’.
The briefing then added in a note that has particularly angered the SFF: “If industry use language in relation to ‘spatial squeeze’, we suggest you do not mirror/ repeat back that language. This is a narrative advanced by industry that we do not share, given the use of our shared marine space must be done in a way that delivers for the whole of Scotland, and balances across environmental, social and economic interests.”
Reacting angrily to the comments, Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the SFF, said: “It’s disgraceful, when it plans systematically and permanently to exclude fishermen from traditional fishing grounds to build colossal offshore wind farms, that a Scottish government official briefed the first minister not to recognise their deeply held concerns for their future livelihoods.
“The spatial squeeze is not an imaginary concept dreamed up by fishermen, but a real and active force that a report carried out for the SFF has shown will exclude the trawling fleet from 50% of fishing grounds by 2050.
“It is time the Scottish government woke up and realised that people’s jobs and the future of our coastal communities really matter, and are not just talking points in political games.”
The briefing advice document came to light following a Freedom of Information request to the Scottish government which asked for all correspondence between SNP MP Stephen Flynn (Aberdeen South) and Scottish ministers or special advisors between 3 October, 2024 and the date of the request, and for documents and information relating to references to offshore wind development.
It comes at a time when fishing grounds around the UK are under increasing pressure from a massive expansion of offshore wind farms, including floating wind developments, as the government aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and tighter restrictions on fishing in MPAs.
The fishing industry is calling for increased transparency over decisions on where offshore wind farms are sited, and to be included in the decision-making process from the outset on all wind farms applications.
This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.50 here.
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