No respect – No idea

Member’s Post ::

Nothing will be achieved in Scotland’s marine environment without the political will to deliver it. The current government regularly boasts it is a world leader in innovative thinking and approaches to marine conservation.

Unfortunately, as the following exchanges in Holyrood show, what a pity the commercial sector in the Clyde has no respect for the government or their attempts to deliver ‘clean, healthy, safe, productive, biologically diverse marine and coastal environments’.

Equally sad is the fact that he will have to go back to his officials, who will naturally know nothing, and that he can only “… hope that we can make progress, but we need discussion among the various interests in the bay.”

Discussion happened long ago, the No Take Zone (NTZ) was put in place – what’s needed now is for the commercial sector to accept that 0.001% of the Clyde is not open to their destructive fishing methods.

The Marine (Scotland) Bill contains exclusions to Marine Protected Areas – one of which is that there can be no restriction to mobile fisheries; combine this with the fact that the Inshore Fisheries Groups (IFGs) are protected from any serious check and balance, that means the marine environment can never be effectively protected.

Patrick Harvie (Green)

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the no-take zone in Lamlash bay is achieving its objectives and what progress is being made with the wider marine protected area in the bay. (S3O-8451)

• Richard Lochhead (SNP)

The objectives of the marine reserve in Lamlash Bay are to protect and enhance biodiversity and to help to conserve and improve scallop stocks to support sustainable fishing. It is too early to say to what extent these objectives are being achieved. Work on possible management measures for the remainder of the bay is on-going. The Lamlash Bay working group is scheduled to meet again on 14 January 2010.

Patrick Harvie (Green)

It is a matter of disappointment that, almost a year after the wider marine protected area was announced, it is still not in place. Is the cabinet secretary aware of reports from the local community that the dredgers are repeatedly operating in the no-take zone? That is equivalent to the people who are expected to manage and police the no-take zone continuing to dredge it. Have those reports come to the attention of the cabinet secretary? If they are true, what hope do they give us for the future of marine protected areas in Scotland.

Richard Lochhead (Scottish National Party)

I will inquire whether my officials are aware of the points that the member raises.

Progress has been made, and I want to pay tribute to the Community of Arran Seabed Trust and the residents of Arran who have campaigned for years for protection for the bay on their doorstep. Their work resulted in the Government implementing legislation. As the member says, there is more to do, and discussions are continuing between COAST and the fisheries interests in Lamlash Bay.

I remind the member that existing legislation includes safeguards around dredging activity and the impact that that can have on the environment. The sector is, therefore, already regulated.

I take on board the member’s points. I hope that we can make progress, but we need discussion among the various interests in the bay. It is important that we try to iron out any conflicts and ensure that people are working together towards common aims. I am pleased that there are signs of progress in that regard.

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