Marine Scotland Bill: Stage 1
Oct 30th, 2009 | By ssacn | Category: SSACN AnnouncementsYesterday saw the Proposed Marine Scotland Bill debated in Holyrood. In the following we’ve condensed the key points of interest, within various MSPs speeches, directly relating to sea angling; the full text of the debate may be found here. It’s good to see that the long-term view seems to be shared by most of the speakers in the debate.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment – R Lochhead.
We have the opportunity to support the Marine (Scotland) Bill, which will provide a framework to safeguard our marine environment and to manage our seas properly.
Striking the right balance between the long-term viability and growth of our economy and the enhanced protection of our special marine environment is at the heart of the bill.
Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP):
Scotland’s inshore waters are among our most precious resources, our seas are also—or certainly should be—a haven for a diversity of animals, plants and birds. It is therefore vital that they enjoy adequate protection.
Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab)
A report published at the beginning of this month for Scottish Environment LINK by the Scottish Association for Marine Science advises that Scotland’s marine environment is in a far from pristine state and is in real need of recovery and goes on to say that the "Marine Bill as it stands will only manage the status quo. It will not bring about any improvement in the wider seas outside marine protected areas".
The report cites evidence of declining stocks of a number of species in the North Sea. During stage 1 consideration of the bill, we heard similar evidence from the Community of Arran Seabed Trust and SSACN.
From the Official Report, Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, 10 June 2009
Ian Burrett (SSACN) told the committee: "on the west coast of Scotland, 20 species either have disappeared or are now found only as juveniles." and;
Howard Wood of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust said of the Clyde: "Having dived in it for 36 years, my experience is that it is in a dire state. The fish that I saw as a teenager diving in the Clyde no longer exist. They are ecologically extinct.
Inshore fisheries groups are being set up in Scotland, however the groups include only commercial fishing interests. The need for such groups is questionable given that they may be overtaken by the proposals in the bill. If they remain, there is a strong case for other interests, such as sea anglers, to be members, as their industry is also dependent on the condition of the marine environment.
Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP
The recent Scottish Government report "Economic Impact of Recreational Sea Angling in Scotland", concluded that sea angling benefits the Scottish economy to the tune of £141 million. The figure could be considerably greater; 20 years ago there were some 118 sea angling charter boats on the Clyde, now there are three.
Why has sea angling on the Clyde declined so drastically? Have sea angers simply found another enthusiasm? Have they pawned their fishing tackle to buy season tickets and abandon the sunny Clyde for the terraces?
The Clyde has a sad history of overexploitation, the most recent chapter of which begins with the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984, which allowed fishing by all methods within a three-mile limit. Since the 1980s there has been a significant decline in biodiversity. Some 20 species of fish are at the point of commercial if not ecological extinction.
According to SSACN, the Clyde has become a nephrops monofishery, with no sign of whitefish recovery. As nephrops stocks decline too, there is talk of moving further down the food chain to brown shrimp and smaller shellfish. That is not sustainable.
The Clyde has become a degraded environment; a once-rich estuary is now a relative pauper. Where do we go when we reach the bottom of the food chain? How can our environment recover if there is nothing to recover with?
Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab):
I have spoken before in the Parliament about how we have taken the health of the seas for granted for far too long. Because most of what lies beneath the surface is unseen by the vast majority.
If the bill is to mean anything, it must make a clear statement that the health of the seas is the overriding concern that drives the legislation. That is why the committee recommended that there be "a duty on the Scottish Ministers and all relevant public bodies, when exercising functions, to have regard to … the health of the Scottish marine area."
That is not just about arresting decline and maintaining the current condition of the sea; it is about restoration and improvement where we have made the condition of the sea bed, in particular, significantly worse.
Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green):
We would be well advised to follow the UK Government’s lead by altering the make-up of inshore fishery groups. I do not believe that we need to wait three or four years before we do that. Frankly, the position at the moment is absurd, because we have the fox in charge of the chicken coop. We must ensure that marine planning partnerships are constituted more sensibly.
Scotland’s seas are an ocean of opportunity. Therefore, given the heavy demands on our coast and inshore and offshore waters, the Marine (Scotland) Bill must put environmental protection and enhancement at the heart of all decisions about how we use our seas. It is critical that the bill is designed not only to rein in activities that continue to damage our marine environment but to promote actively and effectively the regeneration and restoration of maximum biodiversity.
Richard Lochhead:
We have some of Europe’s richest and most valuable fish stocks in our waters and a growing sea angling fraternity that has a big future—we are determined to develop sea angling with a new strategy, which we are discussing with that sector.
SSACN – This process began earlier this week with an initial ‘kick-off’ meeting. The minutes will be posted once they are available.
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