« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Scottish Coastal Forum: Current ICZM initiatives: Spring 2004
|
Fabrication Yard is the Ardersier site on the southern shores of the Moray Firth
© Highland Council |
|
|
Semi-submersible oil rigs queued up for repair work in the Cromaty Firth
© Highland Council |
COASTAL MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES IN HIGHLAND
The Highland region accounts for about half of Scotland's coastline. It embraces major estuaries on the east side of the country and fjordic sea lochs in the west. Highland Council has been active in coastal planning and management since the 1980s with the preparation of the first set of non-statutory aquaculture framework plans for selected west coast sea lochs. This has been followed up since 2000 with a second series, updating and improving the original plans and extending the total coverage. The second series has benefited from the wider availability of GIS and survey information and is expanding.
In the 1990s a pilot study by Highland Regional Council for integrated CZM on the west coast identified the key management issues there and developed a prototype for a sub-regional strategy. Also, the Council joined an international project (NORCOAST) to develop guidelines for good practice in coastal planning in areas around the North Sea that helped to raise awareness generally of best practice at European level.
The Council has also been involved in a detailed study of the Loch Torridon area which has focused mainly on local fisheries management and follows on from the earlier Minch Project.
In 2002 the Highland Shellfish Management Organisation submitted an application for a Regulating Order to manage certain commercial shellfish stocks. This is likely to become operational in 2004 and will establish a basic infrastructure for local fisheries management.
There is increasing interest in developing systems for spatial planning in the inshore marine area. Highland Council is therefore currently developing a demonstration project on this theme working in partnership with the relevant authorities and local communities to prepare and trial an integrated coastal zone plan. This project will form part of the broader Atlantic Coast (Interreg 3B) initiative and aims to link, for comparative purposes, with a similar coastal planning exercise in at least one other country.
Further information contact:
Colin Wishart,
Planning & Development Service, Highland Council,
Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX
« Previous | Contents | Next »