Scottish trawlermen are complaining about a new requirement for all scallop boats to call into a Manx port each day when fishing in our waters.

The Manx government had planned to introduce the measure from Monday to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the island’s king scallop fishery.

But Dumfries and Galloway Council says it’s 'appalled' at the move, which it claims will have a devastating effect on its local scallop industry, which employs some 300 people.

Now DEFA has agreed to delay the implementation of the new licence condition by a week to allow more time for discussions with the Scottish Government.

Dumfries and Galloway Council leader Elaine Murray has written to Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Geoffrey Boot and Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy.

She said: ’Recent actions by the Isle of Man Government seem designed to support their local scallop industry to the extreme detriment of the industry in Dumfries and Galloway.

’Some of our fishermen have fished in the Isle of Man waters for over 30 years and Kirkcudbright is the UK’s top scallop landing port.

’It is imperative Mr Ewing raise this with the Isle of Man Government at the highest level. They must not be allowed to tear up the Fisheries Management Agreement.’

Our king and queen scallop fisheries are managed by the Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture under advice from the Scallop Management Board, which includes representatives of all key interested parties, including two Scottish representatives.

The king scallop fishery, which opened on November 1 and runs until May 31, is worth £12m to the island’s economy and many jobs, here and in the UK, depend on it.

Some 89 vessels are licensed to fish for king scallops within the 12-mile limit this season, 31 of them Manx and the remainder from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This season a total catch limit of 3,203 tonnes was imposed, with initial daily limits of 1,050kg per vessel, reduced to 700kg at the end of November. The requirement that all vessels, irrespective of their port of origin, report in with their catch to a Manx port on days they fish within Manx waters, for possible inspection, was brought in following concern about the accuracy of catch reporting.

The same requirement has been in place for queenie scallop fishing since 2014.

There is no need for vessels to land their catch in the island and non-Manx vessels can still return locally caught king scallops to their home or another port, insists DEFA.

It said in a statement: ’While the new licence requirement will add time at sea for visiting boats, we hope they will understand the importance to all involved in the fishery of ensuring catch limits are not exceeded.

’DEFA is aware of concerns about the licence variation and will continue dialogue with those parties.’

Other measures in place to safeguard the king scallop fishery include closed areas, a 6pm to 6am curfew, restrictions on equipment that can be used and a minimum landing size.

The fishery was closed over Christmas and the New Year.