8th of February Petition Committee Meeting.
Back in September 2004 COAST petitioned the Scottish Parliament, “For the Parliament & Executive to support COAST’s proposals to make Lamlash Bay a Marine Protected Area, part of which would include a smaller No Take Zone, to protect the maerl beds”.
On the 22nd December 2004 COAST members were invited to address the Petitions Committee of MSPs at Holyrood. At the end of the meeting it was agreed by all MSPs to ask Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs Department, Scottish Natural Heritage, Clyde Fishermen’s Association, Clyde & South West Static Gear Association, North Ayrshire Council, Scottish Association of Marine Scientists & the Sea Angling Association for their comments on COAST’s proposals.
By May 2005 all the above had replied to the Petitions Committee with the exception of North Ayrshire Council.
see: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/petitions/index.htm
look for Current Petition number PE799; & click on it.
The Petitions Committee met again in June 2005. They gave North Ayrshire Council a second chance to reply. They asked SEERAD for an update, after reading COAST’s revised proposals. They also asked Professor Callum Roberts of York & Harvard Universities, an acknowledged world expert on MPAs, for his opinion of COAST’s proposals.
North Ayrshire Council never replied. Professor Callum Roberts supported the proposals. SEERAD quoted their national policies outlining the many consultations & strategies that are ongoing. [This sounded very similar to a letter COAST received from Lord Lindsay, the Minister in 1995, a mere 11 years ago]. SEERAD said that Ross Finnie MSP and Minister for the Environment would shortly send a formal reply to COAST’s proposals.
Last week COAST committee members Tom Vella-Boyle & Howard Wood attended the latest meeting of the Petitions Committee at Holyrood, where MSPs on the committee debated SEERAD & Prof. Roberts’s correspondence. Throughout December & January members of COAST had been busy lobbying as many MSPs as possible, of COAST’s proposals.
The debate opened with Chairman, Michael McMahon, MSP summing up the last 17 months of our petition. He said that all the scientific advice from both Scottish Association of Marine Scientists & Prof. Roberts fully endorsed what COAST was trying to do. He then criticised SEERAD for not only failing to respond to COAST but also failing to update the Petitions Committee. Campbell Martin MSP then summed up his feelings that the last reply from SEERAD in October to the Committee could have been “cut & pasted” from any of their policy documents. He reiterated that COAST had overwhelming support amongst the community on Arran & that the Executive needed to heed all communities. Rob Gibson, MSP voiced his very real concern that the Inshore Fisheries department of SEERAD were not taking on board environmental issues voiced by many organisations across Scotland. The next point raised by the MSPs was the lack of response from North Ayrshire Council and also mentioned that the Council had responsibilities under the Local Biodiversity Action Plan for marine habitats.
Michael McMahon MSP then proposed to the other committee members that the COAST petition should be referred to the Environment and Rural Development Committee, to enable the many unanswered questions to be pursued. The other MSPs agreed unanimously.
Tom & Howard left the Parliament with a rare smile on their faces. They felt that the MSPs on the Petitions Committee had seriously considered their proposal and the important issues involved. They were delighted that they had decided to take the debate to the next level.
Whatever your feelings are on devolution or the cost of the Parliament buildings, as far as COAST members are concerned the Scottish Parliament could not be more accessible to individuals & communities. All that remains now is for them to act on community concerns.
COAST would like to thank many people including Campbell Martin MSP & Rob Gibson MSP for standing up and speaking out, also many others like, Margie Currie, Annabelle Goldie MSP, Colin Turbett, Francis Curran MSP, John Sillars and finally Allan Wilson MSP for working away out of sight on behalf of COAST & the community. The campaign continues.