The SNP candidate for Banffshire and Buchan Coast has refused to sign the Scottish Fishing Federation’s moratorium to halt offshore wind consents for the industry.
At the SFF’s hustings in Fraserburgh today, Karen Adam said SSEN should be encouraged to create jobs and claimed there “wouldn’t be much power” in the fishing organisation’s calls.
Ms Adam said she didn’t agree with SNP candidate for Shetland, Hannah Mary Goodlad, who recently signed the SFF’s moratorium at a hustings event in Lerwick.
The fishing industry has described the rapid expansion of offshore wind projects as a “reckless stampede”.
The SFF warned that the Scottish Government’s plans to install up to 40GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040 are “far too high” and would cause irreversible damage to the marine environment – while displacing fishing fleets from grounds they have worked for generations.
When pressed to sign the SFF’s moratorium, Karen Adam said: “I don’t know if there would be much power in that – I’m going to be honest.
“We want to encourage new jobs as well. SSEN will bring 10,000 jobs to the area.”
When questioned on her SNP colleague’s decision to sign the pledge in Lerwick, she said: “Simple answers on deeper problems isn’t the way to go.
“I don’t always agree with what the other candidates say.”
James Adams, the Scottish Conservative candidate for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, said: “The SNP are no friends of the fishing industry, and Karen Adam’s refusal to sign the Scottish Fishing Federation’s moratorium proves that.
“Fishermen in the audience were rightly in disbelief at this, exposing the SNP’s reckless green energy obsession which would decimate our food security and world-renowned fishing industry.
“These reckless actions by the SNP would push fishermen out of their traditional grounds and threaten their way of life.
“I, and the Scottish Conservatives have signed the SFF’s moratorium and would urgently halt these large-scale developments rather than gamble away our nation’s seas, jobs and coastal heritage.”
Addressing the panel and hustings audience after the event, SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald said: “I’m pleased everyone on the panel, apart from Karen, has pledged their support to sign our moratorium.”
