Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil is continuing his stream of correspondence with the Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Mairi McAllan, stressing over and over again the strength of feeling against Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) in the islands.

Mr MacNeil has repeatedly written to the Minister to impress the strength of feeling against HPMAs and called for the plans to be dropped. He also responded to the consultation which is now closed.

This week he has continued that correspondence, in response to a letter of response from the Minister, asking for details of when the Minister will visit locations on the West Coast in the next stage of the consultation process.

The Minister stated in her letter of response to Mr MacNeil that she did not believe it was the case that nobody in the islands wanted areas with enhanced marine protection and cited the experience of Lamlash Bay in Arran where the community campaigned for extra protection and have benefitted from that.

In response Mr MacNeil said: “There may indeed be one or two people in favour of HPMAs in the Hebrides, but I haven’t come across them I have to say. There may also indeed be one or two people in favour of unification of Scotland with Russia at the moment, but I also haven’t come across them and I don’t think such an approach is a sound basis for making that a sensible argument.

“On the serious and substantial point of Lamlash Bay, it has been cited several times, but Lamlash Bay has happened without any HPMA legislation, in fact this makes the case for not needing the legislation by mentioning Lamlash Bay.”

He added: “The Minister stated that they would continue to engage with communities, and I have asked the Minister to provide me with details of where and when these meetings will happen.

“It is crystal clear that communities in Na h-Eileanan an Iar are totally opposed to HPMAs. HPMAs will cause further economic misery which will do nothing for the environment given that the areas that they want to protect are those that are already fished and looked after sustainably.”