ALLOWING fishing with electricity in Scottish waters would provide a huge boost to the economy and prove far more environmentally friendly than conventional methods, the industry has claimed.

The Scottish Razor Clam Fishermen's Forum has launched a drive to "clean up" the image of electro-fishing, which is currently banned under EU laws but could be allowed if the Scottish Government applies to Brussels for an exemption. Ministers are considering the move and are set to launch a consultation.

The technique, which sees electrodes trailing from boats shock razor clams in the seabed causing them to rise up where they are easily collected by divers, has been criticised by environmentalists and prominent celebrity chefs including Tom Kitchin and Andrew Fairlie who described it as "one of the most damaging ways of catching food mankind has devised".

However, fishermen have hit out at the "ludicrous" criticism, accusing opponents of being ill-informed. They point to a recent Marine Scotland report that found the technique did not do the environmental damage that had previously been feared and that while the electric current had stunned other species making them vulnerable to predators, it did not cause direct fatalities.

Allowing the technique would not damage the sea bed and is far more environmentally sound than the "devastating and destructive" alternative of dredging, the fishermen said, while also being more productive leading to jobs being created and lucrative markets in the Far East opening up. Razor clams are a gastronomic delicacy which can attract high prices in Europe and the Far East, with the industry believing the Scottish product is the finest in the world.

Michael Crowe, a fisherman and forum member, said: "We can stick with dredging. The difference is we won't have the beds in five years time. The ground doesn't recover from a dredge. We're so eager to get on to electrics before we lose our grounds to dredging. We will stick with dredging, the fleet will grow and the industry will grow if that's the way it's to be. But there's a much better, more sustainable way of doing it."

At present, Scottish fishermen are losing out to Irish dredgers, while the industry claims electro-fishing would allow them to sell a hand-selected, more consistent product in greater volumes. Irish dredgers were increasingly looking at moving into Scottish waters after quotas were put on their activities closer to home, while electro-fishing would allow the Scottish industry to take a different approach, Mr Crowe said, while potentially making the Scottish razor clam industry four times larger.

He added: "The mindset of people thinking there would be a bunch of idiots on boats with a generator, throwing things over the side and making a fortune, is completely untrue. We're professional people, we know our industry and know our job, we just want to make it bigger and compete with the Irish."

Holland has already successfully applied for an exemption from EU ban on fishing with electricity, rebranding the technique 'pulse fishing' to make it more palatable to the public. The forum is seeking to set up a specialised course for divers using electric fishing techniques in a bid to alleviate safety concerns, while also believing claims of illegal use of the method has been exaggerated hitting the reputation of the whole sector.

Michael MacCorquodale, another member of the forum, said: "We'd be hand selecting from the seabed species specific. You've got a hand down removing the product from the seabed opposed to a cage dragging through.

"Razors are a high-demand product and we're world leaders. If we were to try and sell lobsters and scallops to the Far East we'd find it very hard as we'd have competition from the Japanese, Canadians, you're in a world market. But when you're selling razor clams, you've got the ability to tag on your other products. They'll take more off you to keep you happy. The price of razors has gone up quite a bit in the last year, we could be talking about this being worth tens of millions."

A Scottish Government spokesman said it was considering a short consultation on seeking a derogation from the European Commission to enable electro-fishing.

He added: "If it is agreed to apply for this derogation it will be specific to razors and the process tested by Marine Scotland as detailed in their October 2014 report. If supported, the derogation process may take upwards of two years to deliver and during this time work in parallel will take place on population and stock mapping, sustainability of the fishery and what limits on fishing pressure might be appropriate."