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New action group to fight against
the imposition of
Coastal & Marine National Parks
Editorial
Filed 9th May 2006
©www.land-care.org.uk
A new group, Action Against Marine
Parks (AAMP), has been formed which is determined to fight
on against the imposition of Coastal & Marine National Parks
(CMNPs). In particular, it is determined to push on with plans to
oppose any top-down imposition of CMNPs by the Scotish Executive.
A large turn out at a meeting organised by Arisaig
Community Council on the night of Thursday 4th May 2006 heard presentations
from both
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH),
on advice they had recently submitted to the Scottish Executive
regarding possible sites for a CMNP (1),
and from
local organisations, Mallaig & Northwest
Fishermen’s Association (M&NWFA) and People
Too, who raised a number of concerns about such a designation.
Hugh Raven of SNH’s main board, assured
the audience that the Minister for the Environment, Ross Finnie,
would not impose a CMNP against the wishes of residents in the area.
He was unable to say, however, what form consultation would take
on that issue at local level. He also conceded that fishermen’s
fears about potential restrictions to inshore fisheries were based
on statements made by SNH itself in its advice to Ministers and
which were read out by members of the audience. To quote from paragraph
26 of SNH Advice, March 2006:
“Irrespective of
its seaward boundary, the area of any coastal and marine National
Park will overlap with one or more of the new inshore fisheries
groups. The clear view emerging from the Scottish Executive and
fishing interests is that these should continue to be the main
vehicle for the planning and management of fisheries within the
Park area. SNH supports this view, provided the inshore fisheries
groups prove effective in delivering better management arrangements
in practice and work to actively support the implementation of
the Park Plan”
Hugh Raven ...........................John
Hermse
SNH Main Board Member............Sec, Mallaig & NW Fishermen's
Assoc.
Photos©Kimpton
Graphics
The meeting also heard that national park coastal
boundaries indicated in the same SNH advice assumed that the park
would reach 2 kilometres inland from the coast and encompass some
of the smaller islands. It was noted that this would mean the inclusion
of most of the settlements, development areas and roads in a typical
West Coast scenario.
A lively discussion was brought to a conclusion
by local MSP, Fergus Ewing, who, in summing up, pledged his support
in the fight for the democratic views of local residents to be heard
in future consultation.
Fergus Ewing
MSP for the area
Photo©Kimpton Graphics
Speaking after the meeting, John Hermse, secretary
of the M&NWFA, said:
“I am pleased to see that a wide cross-section
of people from all sectors and walks of life came and took part
in the discussion. I think the general mood was one of fear and
confusion and although people asked for information and wanted
to have their fears allayed, many will have come away with more
fears than when they arrived. Unfortunately, up till now it has
always been the fishing industry that has been viewed as the only
objector to a coastal and marine national park. This meeting showed
that everyone will be affected by changes to the planning system
within a national park and by the burden of increased bureaucracy.”
Chairman of Action Against Marine Parks (AAMPs),
Ian MacKinnon of Arisaig, was particularly concerned about SNH’s
consultation to date :
“SNH as good as admitted that the
make-up of their 25-strong hand-picked stakeholder group was flawed.
SNH was not clear on what role a park will play. Their only answer
was that that depended entirely on the Minister. So surely that
renders their advice to him ineffectual? They were asked, for
example, how a marine park would interact with other designations
and regulations and they couldn’t answer. Someone actually
went as far as to say that SNH are not qualified to advise at
all on a broad concept like a marine park. So we fight on.”
“People in other areas of the west
coast should not stand by and wait to see where the marine park
is going to be. I would urge anyone with concerns like ours to
get in touch so that we can co-ordinate our opposition to this
top-down policy”.
Main concerns of AAMPs
The conerns that this new group - Action Against
Marine Parks (AAMPs) - has about a coastal and marine park can be
listed under two headings:
The unkown
1. What are its powers?
2. What is to be the membership and structure
of its controlling Board?
3. What will be the degree of control by the
environment lobby?
4. What will the impact be on development?
5. How much will it adhere to "national"
views?
6. What will be its size, and future possible
expansion?
7. What funding will it have?
The known
8. Its cushioned bureaucrats
9. Its duplication of function
10. Its removal of our right to use the
natural resources on our own doorstep in a way that we judge best
to sustain and maintain our own communities
Further information
Those wishing further information or details
may contact
Ian MacKinnon, Chairman : (07789) 474
905; The Gate House, Tougal, Morar.
Marian Dyer, Secretary : (07715) 108 503;
9 Clanranald Place, Arisaig.
Apart from the two representatives from SNH and one lady (who thought
that it might help tourism in the area), no one at the meeting -
which filled the Community Hall to capacity - spoke in favour of
a Coastal & Marine National Park.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Scottish Natural Heritage
(2006). SNH Advice on Coastal and Marine National Parks. Advice
to Scottish Ministers, March 2006 Click
Here to View pdf
Further reading recommended by Land-Care
 Macleod,
Kirsty (2006). Report of Mallaig meeting 25th March 2006 to consider
proposed Coastal & Marine Natinal Park
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 02 Apr 06,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
Irvine,
James (2006). Public meeting to consider proposed Coastal &
Marine National Park: Mallaig 25th March 2006
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 27 Mar 06,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
Andrews,
Tony (2006). Who should run the countryside? Rural Scotland 2006.
Paper given at SCA 4th annual conference, Royal Highland Centre,
Ingliston, Edinburgh 25th April 20006
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 04 May 06,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
Stevenson,
Struan (2006). "Big government in the countryside". Paper
given at SCA 4th annual conference "Who should run the countryside?
Rural Scotland 2006" Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh
25th April 20006
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 09 May 06,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
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