Shellfish businesses across Scotland have been offered emergency financial help by ministers on the eve of a report by The Ferret revealing the crisis facing prawn and scallop fishermen.
The number of fines issued to rogue fishermen has decreased over the past three years while skippers caught fishing in protected waters have not been reported to the procurator fiscal, we can reveal.
Video footage of damage to the seabed by illegal scallop dredging off Jura has been obtained by The Ferret, prompting calls for urgent enforcement action to be taken against rogue fisherman.
Underwater film footage revealing the damage allegedly caused by illegal scallop dredging is being published by The Ferret in the wake of claims that protected wildlife areas are being “pulverised”.
