SCOTTISH waters could be left defenceless from illegal fishing after Marine Scotland workers voted to go out on strike.
Dubbed "Scotland's Navy", Marine Scotland operates marine protection vessels and research ships to patrol the seas and fisheries around the country.
Crew members have been taking part in a long-running dispute with the Scottish Government over pay, after discovering they are being paid thousands of pounds less than other workers.
They have now backed a call for industrial action from the Unite union with 95 per cent of its members voting in favour.
They are upset at levels of pay which show that a chief steward for Marine Scotland can earn up to £29,579 a year, while at CalMac the same post is rewarded with £37,675.
Both Marine Scotland and CalMac are wholly owned by Scottish Ministers.
Unite regional officer Alex Smart said: "The Scottish Government have simply not wanted to talk to us about this. This has been ongoing for a long time and we asked for a big pay review, but that didn't happen so here we are.
"We still have all the problems that we had before. People are struggling on low pay, members are being asked to work various different roles and ships are sailing short-handed because there are not enough people to crew them.
"The next step will be to speak to our members and co-ordinate days of industrial action. That is complicated because many of them are sailing, but we will have an answer soon."
Without fishery protection vessels on the seas, there will be no capacity to carry out checks on fishing vessels to make sure they are observing quotas and net sizes.
The strike would also mean that two science vessels would be tied up at dock, unable to carry out research that is used by the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the European Union and is vital towards setting fishing quotas.
It is understood that the dates for potential strikes will be set next week, once contact has been established with union members currently serving on vessels offshore
Mr Smart added: "No worker wants to go on strike, but we have been put in an impossible position by the unwillingness of the Scottish Government to move on this issue."
The Scottish Parliament has in the past voted unanimously in favour of a Labour amendment to a Scottish Government motion, stating that Marine Scotland staff who crew marine protection vessels should receive a fair pay settlement.
Labour Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant said the Government’s lack of action is “completely unacceptable” and called for a resolution before workers resort to industrial action.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “We will continue our discussions with Unite and remain hopeful that industrial action can be avoided.”
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