Symposium 2010
Arran Symposium October 2010 |  | 
‘Empowering Coastal Community Stakeholders’ was jointly hosted by the Community of Arran Seabed Trust and the West of England University on 22nd, 23rd and 24th of October 2010.
Local members of both the Holyrood (Kenneth Gibson MSP) and Westminster (Katy Clark MP) Parliaments attended the event and took prominent parts in chairing sessions during the weekend. Senior representatives of MarineScotland and Scottish Natural Heritage also attended. click → 1st Session: MARINE PROTECTION IN THE REGIONS ← clickHoward Wood, C.O.A.S.T., Tom Appleby, University of West England click → 2nd Session: BUILDING MARINE PROTECTED AREAS ← clickKirsten Smith, North Sea Marine Advocacy Officer, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust click → 3rd Session: MARINE GOVERNANCE ← clickFiona Gell, Fisheries Directorate, Isle of Man Government 4th Session: FROM THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVEPeter Cunningham, Wester Ross Fishing Trust 5th Session: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTDavid Mallon, Marine Scotland 6th Session: SCIENCE AND MARINE CONSERVATIONCallum Roberts, University of York 7th Session: WIDER PERSPECTIVE ON MARINE CONSERVATIONHoward Wood, C.O.A.S.T. Mark Carter, Marine Concern 8th Session: CONTINUATIONIsabel Glasgow, Firth of Clyde Forum 1st Session - Marine Protection in the Regions (Symposium 2010) | |
The introduction to the weekend was given by Tom Appleby, lecturer in law at the University of the West of England and Howard Wood, chair of C.O.A.S.T. co-hosts of the event. Tom Appleby set out the foucs for the weekend explaining that it was an opportunity for a flow of information and perspectives. Marine Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage could inform community stakeholders of future marine policy. Presentations from community representatives would be heard by Government organisations, so that both sides would better understand the other’s point of view. Howard Wood’s presentation provided a concise history of C.O.A.S.T. from its community beginnings to more recent events. Some of his slides contained a few tongue in cheek images to provoke further debate throughout the weekend. He thanked the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation for their financial support which had funded early meetings in Stirling and Penrith, which helped to raise the profile and aims of C.O.A.S.T. Despite some setbacks COAST gathered political support to establish Scotland's first No Take Zone in part of Lamlash Bay in September 2008. In 2009 C.O.A.S.T.'s argument that fishing is a public right was recognised by the Government law advisors. Click below for their presentation.
Howard Wood, C.O.A.S.T., Tom Appleby, University of West England Melanie Gomes, a graduate student of the University of Ulster, addressed the meeting about the experience of the Northern Ireland Marine Protection programme, which she felt was a few years behind the U.K. The Northern Ireland Marine Bill is scheduled for 2012. In her opinion scallop dredging was destroying some of the rare species unique to the Irish Sea. Click below for her presentation.
Melanie Gomes, Phd Student, Coastal and Marine Research School of Environmental Services, University of Ulster Lewis Winks representing The Friends of Cardigan Bay, a charitable group which was founded in 1989, spoke of the unique terrain of the Bay formed by the last ice age. The area was famous as one of only two areas in the UK to have resident bottle-nosed dolphins. What attracts them to the area has never been established. A one-mile exclusion area has been put in place and a proposal to have a marine conservation zone has been implemented. The group continue with the task in the hope that one day the marine environment will be properly protected. Click below the presentation.
Lewis Winks, Friends of Cardigan Bay 3rd session - Marine Governance (Symposium 2010) | |
Chair: Kenneth Gibson MSP The third session began with Fiona Gell from the Isle of Man Government. She gave a short history of conservation of scallop stocks, which began in 1989 when a small area around Port Erin was closed. She described that initially most fishermen were unhappy, but that how over the past 20 years that has changed and it is now the Isle of Man fishermen who are suggesting new areas. The Government, fishermen and the community in the Isle of Man are moving towards a much more sustainable future for the marine waters surrounding the Isle of Man. In discussion after Fiona’s presentation it was commented on how the Scottish Government could learn from their near neighbours on the Isle of Man. There were also comments on how the Isle of Man fishermen feel when each November Scottish scallop dredgers arrive to benefit from management measures put in place around the Isle of Man. Back in Scotland the same dredgers are seen to procrastinate over any similar management. Click below to view her presentation.
Fiona Gell, Fisheries Directorate, Isle of Man Government
Tavis Potts, Scottish Association of Marine Science
Rupert Crilly of the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and OCEAN 2012 spoke
of the Common Fisheries Policy and tragic state of the fishing industry
worldwide. There is 80% overfishing, 30% outside biological limits. The
basic cost of fish was not rising in the shops due to imports
disguising the true situation. There are 48% higher catches allowed than
the scientific advice given.
Rupert Crilly, New Economics Foundation Building marine protected areas | |
The first presentation on Saturday was by Kirsten Smith of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Her talk was about the challenges the YWT faced and explained how the organisation works with stakeholders and uses events (such as boat trips) to promote public awareness. Her presentation detailed the story of Flamborough Head involving divers and the North Sea habitat. Click below to view her presentation ....
Kirsten Smith, North Sea Marine Advocacy Officer, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Phil Dyke of the National Trust spoke of the fundamental link between land and the sea and the public awareness established by the 3.8 million members of the National Trust country-wide. In his presentation he said the proposed MPA network in England has the support of the public. And although 63% of this public support does not live by the sea, many feel strong connections to it, through childhood experiences, holidays and intergenerational experiences. This demographic is an important part of the stakeholder group interested in the coastal, marine and protected landscapes.
Phil Dyke and David Bullock, National Trust Georgia Conolly, marine ranger of St Abbs & Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve, spoke of the diversity of the North Sea, especially the very diverse marine life around St Abbs. She described the history of the reserve which started mainly to resolve conflict between locals and visiting divers. The reserve is out to the 50m depth boundary. Now, all sectors work together, with increased tourism and divers visiting as a result of the protected marine life. There are 25,000 dives per year, worth £3.6m to the local economy, a higher figure than the value of fish £3.4m landed at Eyemouth. Click below to view her presentation ....
Georgia Conolly, VMR Marine Ranger, St Abbs & Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve Calum Duncan of Seasearch, Marine Conservation Society has trained individuals from C.O.A.S.T. in Seasearch techniques since 2003. He gave an overview of all Seasearch work around the British Isles especially in Scotland and illustrated his talk with examples of areas off Arran and in the Western Isles. He described the Loch Shira experience off Loch Fyne where time, effort and expense were spent surveying the rare giant fireworks anemones. This is where trawlers had recently operated in defiance of a voluntary agreement not to trawl the small area.
Calum Duncan, Marine Conservation Society |
