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Project sees environment and fishing go hand-in-hand
22/09/2008
Conservation and fishing interests can work in harmony, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead said today when he announced the go-ahead for Scotland's first community marine reserve.
The reserve, in part of Lamlash Bay on the Isle of Arran, will see the waters become a protected area, helping to conserve an important marine habitat.
It is anticipated that as a result scallop beds in adjacent areas will become more productive, benefiting local fishermen.
The reserve has the backing of both environmentalists and the fishing industry.
Mr Lochhead said:
"Our seas are special and we need to protect this precious resource while ensuring it continues to support the industries upon which coastal communities depend.
"This unique project shows what can be achieved when different interests put their heads together and find common, mutually beneficial ground.
"Conservationists and fishermen in the community and beyond have driven this project forward and have been rewarded for their hard work today. It demonstrates what can happen when people work together on common goals and we empower communities to find local solutions to local issues.
"Today's announcement is great news for the environment and for the fishing industry. We will be watching the project closely, particularly as it is the first of its kind, to see what lessons can be learned for the future."
Howard Wood, Chairman of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), said:
"COAST and our many supporters on Arran and beyond are very excited by what we see as a new beginning for conservation in Lamlash Bay. After many years we at last have our Marine Reserve. We are now looking forward to the benefits it will bring and to working with a range of people over the months and years ahead. "
Kenneth McNab, Chairman of the Clyde Fishermen's Association, said:
"The Clyde Fishermen's Association is supportive of the efforts being made in Lamlash Bay. We believe that it is important to take responsibility for our seas and the resources they represent. We also believe that there is a need to continue towards a better understanding of the importance of our marine environment."
Isabel Glasgow, Chair of the Firth of Clyde Forum, said:
"I am very pleased that the efforts made by the Lamlash Bay Working Group have resulted in success. I am convinced that the marine reserve will bring benefits both to fishing and to the marine environment. I look forward to those benefits being realised with the ongoing support of the Firth of Clyde Forum."
Ian Jardine, Chief Executive of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), said:
"We very much welcome this news and applaud the effort put in by COAST and the Clyde Fishermen's Association. Working together we have found a way to balance conservation of the bay's marine life with fishing. From now on our role will be to monitor sea life in the bay, along with the Fisheries Research Services. In the long term we hope this project will raise awareness of Scotland's magnificent marine wildlife and make a valuable contribution to the development of a sustainable scallop fishing industry in the Clyde."
Proposals for a community marine reserve in Lamlash Bay were announced in January. Subsequently a three-month public consultation took place ending on June 5.
An order has been laid in the Scottish Parliament giving statutory protection to the marine reserve. The protection comes into effect immediately.
The reserve will be a 'no-take zone' and in particular will provide protection for maerl beds, a coralline alga which is important in its own right and for wider biodiversity, including scallop and other fish stocks. Work undertaken in association with the reserve will therefore include scallop enhancement.
Both Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Fisheries Research Services (FRS) will be involved in the monitoring and other scientific work stemming from the implementation of the reserve. During October, SNH, FRS and an outside contractor will be carrying out a survey using sonar and underwater video techniques to map the area and to help establish a monitoring baseline.
The project has been developed by the Lamlash Bay Working Group chaired by Isabel Glasgow, Chair of the Firth of Clyde Forum. The group included representatives from the COAST, the Clyde Fishermen's Association, SNH and FRS.