Marine Bill conference a ‘No Take’ zone for Lochhead?

A Marine Bill for Scotland was the title for a conference held by Holyrood Events last week in Edinburgh. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, gave the opening speech. He highlighted the need to protect the marine environment and promote sustainable environmentally friendly use of the sea’s resources.

The Minister can certainly ‘Talk the Talk’.  He said: ‘The government is committed to a future that balances improvements to marine conservation, with the growth of marine industries’.  But can he ‘Walk the Walk’? Find out below – with extracts from the Minister’s speech and notes on some worrying developments:

The Marine (Scotland) Bill: Extracts from the Cabinet Secretary’s speech

• ‘I’m always delighted to talk about the world class marine environment we have in Scotland’.
• ‘We are a country rich in natural marine assets. We are also rich in the skills, and experience, needed to make good on those assets’.
• ‘The balance between opportunity, and threat, is why our use of the sea has to be carefully managed. And that is why, the most important part of the Scottish Marine Bill, is Planning’.
• ‘The Bill also introduces new powers, to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas. These will allow us to protect some of our most precious, and iconic, marine species and habitats’.
• ‘Improved marine nature conservation, and protection for biodiversity, are central to the Marine Bill… This will protect our most important marine species and habitats’.
• ‘There is also a mechanism in the Scottish Marine Bill whereby communities, under certain circumstances, can submit proposals for Marine Protected Areas’. (Note: This will be extremely difficult in remote and island locations where the influential commercial industries hold a lot of ‘sway’.)
• ‘As well as Marine Protected Areas, the Marine Bill contains some other provisions for the protection of wildlife. In particular it contains provisions to revise the protection of seals’.
• ‘Scotland has a duty to protect its iconic seal populations. We have over 160,000 grey seals, and a minimum of 20,000 common seals, more than the rest of the European Union. They represent a significant conservation success’. (Note: How can the loss of one third of the Common Seal population be a ‘significant conservation success’?)
• ‘For the first time, there will be monitoring of licensed seal management in Scotland. This will ensure that local management will not have a significant impact on our overall seal populations’. (Note: The term, ‘Management’ usually means ‘KILLING’ – a cheaper  alternative).
• ‘Our vision is that development should raise the quality of life for the Scottish people, through increasing economic opportunities for all, on a socially and environmentally sustainable basis’.
• ‘With the coming of the Scottish Marine Bill I look forward to a future that balances improvements to marine conservation, with the growth of marine industries. This is at the heart of the Scottish Marine Bill’.
• ‘There will always be instances of conflict, between conservation priorities and economic development. But I believe that overall we must manage our seas, to allow for economic growth and conservation. It is not one thing or the other’.
• ‘It will not be easy, but it is necessary’.
• ‘Ladies and gentlemen. Let me remind you, that our seas are among the most biologically productive in the world, and some of the finest marine habitats in Europe can be found in Scottish waters. I intend to ensure they stay that way. We will use our new planning, conservation and licensing tools, to ensure the wellbeing of our seas’.
• ‘We all have a responsibility to ensure that we continue to benefit from our coasts and seas. And that future generations have the chance to benefit as much, if not more, than we do’.
• ‘The Scottish Marine Bill is designed with that long term vision in mind’.
• ‘Our challenge now, is to work together to deliver a Marine Bill that makes a real difference for Scotland’s seas’.
• ‘The challenge for all who care about the sea is to work with us to deliver the best system to make that happen’.

The Minister’s last comment – ‘all who care about the sea (should) work with us’ – is interesting when local groups are routinely ‘omitted’ from management group meetings.

In fact, in one import local initiative, Argyll and Bute Council Officials chose the Working Group members, predominantly from the commercial sectors. This was for the Sound of Mull Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative, one of four important pilot schemes on which the future of Scotland’s seas will be based.

The ‘Working Group’ members were then asked to vote on an environmental group joining the group. The term ‘Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas’, adequately sums up the response.  The environmental group has been omitted from the all important ‘Working Group’ considerations.

The Marine Bill Road Shows stated that ‘Stakeholder’ involvement is vitally important and that this includes home owners and bed & breakfast operators, as well as local people engaged within the tourist industry. But how do these people engage when their Councils, Government Agencies and Government routinely refuse access to important marine management meetings and pilot schemes.

I asked the Minister the following question:

‘We welcome your assurances that marine protection and sustainable use will be taken forward together. However, as the Bill currently stands, Marine Protected Areas cannot give the benefits seen worldwide as one Section in the Bill, Section 85 (2) prevents restriction to mobile fisheries. Can we see a change in the proposed Bill to allow for No-Take-Zones’?

(Note: ‘No-Take-Zones’ are areas that do exactly what they say on the tin. ‘No Take’ means no damage to the all important habitat on which fishery rejuvenation depends. Marine Protected Areas which include these zones  – which are also known as ‘Fishery Protection Zones – have a proven track record around the World. They are known to increase biodiversity, fish stocks. Moreover, fishermen routinely target the boundaries where catches are increased both in terms of weight and species, combined with less fishing ‘effort’.

My background as a former police officer is to recognise ‘non-verbal’ reactions and I would say that the Minister appeared decidedly uneasy with this question. His reply gave reasons as to why No-Take –Zones were difficult to implement. He cited the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as an excuse so as not to have fully protected areas.

But the CFP does not apply within the six mile limit. This sea limit, a massive area in Scotland, falls totally under devolved powers – so this was not a valid reason to exclude areas of no-take.

Reading between the lines, once again we have a politician who can: ‘Talk the Talk’ but is unable or uninterested to walk this particular walk. That is tragic. Not only do our futures depend upon the seas resources but so do our childrens’. What are we going to leave for them?

The Minister also stated that: ‘Fishing generates around £400m per year, aquaculture produces a similar value and angling produces £140m of income. That is nearly a billion pounds of value each year in these 3 sectors alone’. (Note: If the value of sea angling is added to this, the total figure here is well over £1 billion.)

The tourist industry is worth an estimated £4 billion to the Scottish Economy, yet,to date has had very little involvement with the Marine Bill. This has been the case despite surveys indicating that it is the Scottish scenery and wildlife that are the major attractions – with seals and cetaceans jostling for the top spot.

Mark Carter, Environmental Editor

(Coming soon the meeting outcome with the Minister for Tourism, Jim Mather MSP.)

The photograph above, by Mark Carter, shows part of Argyll’s marine resource – the Lynn of Lorn off to the left of Castle Stalker, with Lismore in the mid background and Mull in the far background.