Tag Archives: Special

SNH consultation on proposed marine Special Protection Areas for seabirds

EDIT – 11/10/16

Tiree Community Council made the following submission:

‘Tiree Community Council (TCC) considered the proposed Special Protection Area for Tiree and Coll at its public meeting on 7th September. We acknowledge that we do not possess relevant expertise in maritime ecology; our job is to represent the views and interests of our constituents on the electoral roll of the island. The matter was an agenda item, which was advertised in advance. The pSPA was also flagged prominently on the TCC website and comments were solicited. At the public meeting a member of the public commended the report as balanced. As a member of the pressure group No Tiree Array he had already provided a detailed submission to the consultation process. As Convenor I reported that I had held a meeting with two island fishermen, who were very concerned about the proposed SPA. They pointed out that fishing was one of the three pillars of the Tiree economy, and, significantly, encouraged young families to stay on the island. They pointed out that the bird population figures behind the proposals were at least ten years old and may not accurately describe the present situation. These fishermen had told me that, while the present local static gear fishery was not thought to impact significantly on the two bird species concerned, experience in other marine protected areas was towards tighter regulations as time went on. One of the fishermen made limited use of a set net for bait, and this catch was worth £15,000 a year to him. The other fishermen said he had made plans to buy equipment to start limited dredging and the proposed tightening of this form of fishing would load significant pressure onto his already fragile business. They were strongly against the proposals, and in particular, the inclusion of the south coast of the island. There have been no other comments to TCC about the pSPA.’

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Tiree Community Council are looking for feedback on the following SNH consultation.

http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/protected-areas/proposed-marine-spas/

(Special Protection Areas) SPA are particularly relevant for creel (static gear) fishermen, but also important for overall marine conservation and preservation of marine habitats.

Please leave feedback in the comments section on the website!

Deadline for the consultation is 21 September. If you would prefer to submit a response directly to SNH you can do so at the following link.

http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/protected-areas/proposed-marine-spas/