New scallop ban under fire

Fishing in the waters off Orkney is now prohibited

The chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation has attacked the Food Standards Agency for extending a ban on scallop fishing to Orkney and Caithness.

The agency said it was necessary because of the risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning.

The federation disagreed and warned it would be seeking compensation for fishermen.

The agency insisted its decision was based on government tests which show the PSP toxin had reached a level where there was a risk to consumers.

Fishermen want compensation

Fishermen were angered by the introduction last week of a similar ban on scallop fishing along much of the west coast because of the danger of amnesic shellfish poisoning.

The latest order has been described as "hugely disappointing" by the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation Hamish Morrison.

"It may be that there is a risk to consumers and we await to be told what that is," he said.

"But what I rather suspect is that we are being worried here about the risk to reputations, scientific, administrative and governmental."

Hamish Morrison: "Worries about reputations"

He said independent testing in some of the affected areas was at odds with what the government labs had found.

The federation is particularly annoyed because there is no history of poisoning involving scallops in Scottish waters.

Fishermen are pointing to the results of independent tests from some areas, which are at odds with the government laboratory findings.

The question of compensation for up to 50 Scottish vessels involved could no longer be dodged.

Mr Morrison asked if the food safety industry was in "overdrive or overkill" and questioned whether it was protecting the public or its own interests.