CEO MONTHLY / Chairperson Awards 2022 21 Sep22047 Covering the inshore waters from Cape Wrath to the Scottish and English border, the West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (WCRIFG), like its contemporary bodies across the nation, are instrumental in the improvement of Scotland’s inshore fisheries management. From delivering on the nation’s obligations for sustainable use of national resources to providing a voice for commercial fishers during planning initiatives, the group manages a mountain of responsibility. At the helm of this equally essential and complex remit is Simon Macdonald, who leverages over forty years of fishery experience in the name of seeing The Scottish fishing scene is enormous, heavily regulated, and produces top-quality products that ship worldwide. Operating within this industry sector is not without its challenges but being responsible for managing the area is a new degree of difficulty. Yet Chairman of the West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group: Simon Macdonald, doesn’t just do it, he has steered the group and local industry through some of its most challenging periods whilst innovating and improving along the way. the industry, and nation, continue to prosper. Simon’s journey began in 1987. He entered the industry with a fish processing business in a remote village that grew to supply its products worldwide. Now, as the WCRIFG’s Chairman, he is not only the head of the largest of Scotland’s Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups but also responsible for a colossal scope of shoreline – everything within twelve miles out of the west coast as well as the Inner Hebridean Islands of Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, Arran plus the Firth of Clyde – and those fisheries operating within the area. He regularly works with senior Government Ministers, who appreciate the “front line” experience he brings to the group – and is imperative to strategies and initiatives that maintain the sustainability and viability of an industry that works in such a potentially hostile environment. Despite how well-equipped Simon remains for his position, it is still an enormous responsibility with no shortage of challenging elements. Yet it is a challenge he was eager to take on, and he rises to every occasion. On taking the role in 2020, those challenges have not been in small supply. In recent years, these obstacles include the Covid-19 pandemic, three international market collapses, and Brexit. Under Simon’s leadership, the Group met them all head-on. As the market struggled, WCRIFG provided an extensive support package for affected fishers. This included a relief fund that Simon was instrumental in establishing with the Scottish government. Its actions also encouraged all fishers under its purview to understand the benefits of continued collaboration, as it resolved issues quickly and decisively and kept the fleet afloat. Though Brexit and the markets are ongoing situations, the group has breezed past related obstacles in the same fashion it always has. Simon and his team do not consider these tumultuous times as opportunities to panic. Instead, WCRIFG invests in innovative ideas and solutions. The group strongly believes that putting these fresh ideas into practice during times of turmoil is for the betterment of the industry. Its continued prosperity, and the market’s continual recovery, only lends further credence to this perspective. The fresh ideas under Simon’s leadership were plentiful and began right away. On taking up the position, he and the team worked to divide the west coast into distinctive sub-group areas. Each subgroup area has its own needs for effective management. In addition, specific projects were created to reduce gear conflict between different types of fishing and consider the need for the conservation of fragile ecosystems in certain parts. These projects, where possible, were even designed to be self-governing, giving local fishers a greater sense of responsibility for their fishing grounds and the protection of their livelihoods. These areaspecific projects’ outcome has dramatically benefitted the coastal communities and fishing businesses. Simon Macdonald is a very hands-on leader with an abundance of energy, not just towards the fishing industry. Despite the challenges, he has barrelled on, and the West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group is all the better for it. From the scale of the challenges he has overcome to the successes his leadership has secured – all the way to the sheer scale of the organisation he sits at the helm of. The award for the Best Fishing Management Forum Chairman 2022 in Scotland couldn’t have gone to anyone other than Simon Macdonald. The industry is fortunate to have him. Contact: Simon Macdonald Company: West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group Best Fishing Management Forum Chairman 2022 (Scotland): Simon Macdonald
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