Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil has called on people to respond to the Highly Protected Marine Areas consultation by the Scottish Government which is open until Monday 17^th April. The consultation is available on the Scottish Government website. Submissions can be completed online or hard copy. However, people can also submit their views by emailing: HPMA@gov.scot and completing the Respondent Information Form, which is also available on the Scottish Government consultation website. 

Commenting Angus MacNeil said:

“I’d strongly encourage people to respond to the HPMA consultation before it closes on April 17th. The online link to the consultation is a long and complex number of questions so I would encourage people to submit their views via the email address and complete the Respondent Information Form.

“I’ve spoken to many people across the constituency in recent weeks and the level of concern is strongly felt. People are worried about their livelihoods, and I have yet to meet anyone in favour of the proposal. It is important that these views are known to the consultation, even if it is a line or two submitted saying that the proposal should be ditched. 

“HPMA is an ill-conceived idea, and I will certainly be making my views known to the consultation. The policy should be withdrawn and scrapped, as I have previously said when writing to the First Minister and the Minister for Environment and Land Reform.” 

Notes:

• Consultation: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/scottish-highly-protected-marine-areas/consultation/ 
  
• Respondent Information Form available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-highly-protected-marine-areas-consultation-paper/documents/ 
  
• Email response: HPMA@gov.scot