Reliance on compliance...

In late June, officers from Marine Scotland Compliance visited Arran to interview witnesses to an alleged incursion of the Lamlash Bay No Take Zone. Just a few days before on June 13th, a fishing boat was spotted in the Bay. It appeared to be dredging along the edge of the No Take Zone.

The incident was reported, the identity of the vessel has been established and enquiries are now on-going. This is not the first time. At least seven similar incidents have happened in the past three years, but not one has resulted in a conviction. The current enforcement of the No Take Zone is therefore of continuing concern.

COAST has always had to be very careful when describing and reporting on potentially illegal incidents. The seriousness of the alleged incursions means the parties involved deserve the presumption of innocence, a fundamental pillar of our judicial process. We have therefore never named a boat that appeared to be in contravention of the Inshore Fishing (Scotland) Act 1984.

However, the practicalities of successfully prosecuting an offence are not straightforward. A high standard of evidence is required and photographs taken from the shore, eye-witness accounts and alternative explanations from the vessel’s crew mean corroboration is fraught with difficulty. Furthermore, the relevant legislation makes no reference to 'symptom offences' such as obscuring a boat's number or having fishing gear in the water whilst in a closed area. Vessels under 15 metres long are not obliged to use a transponder that can be monitored (there are lots of under-15m fishing boats in Scotland...) and the penalties involved are arguably an inadequate deterrent.

The organisation that gathers the evidence - essentially a police service for the sea - is Marine Scotland Compliance. Taking over from the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency it was formed in 2007 in the wake of wider administrative restructuring by the SNP.

'Compliance' is a strange word. Unfortunately nowadays, it is most commonly associated with ‘having to’ comply with overbearing regulations. Scottish fishermen (or any fishermen!) haven't traditionally been used to such top-down 'compliance.' By its very huge, untameable nature, the sea has always been a wee bit outside the reach of law, although in the last 30-40 years European regulations have become an uncomfortable fact for the industry.

For some fishermen, Marine Protected Areas represent another step in the bureaucratic frogmarch: SACs, NTZs and MPAs are perceived as the thin end of a regulatory wedge carving up the sea into discrete pockets governed by restrictions and limits...

But this is not really what a community-led marine reserve is all about. And for COAST, ‘compliance’ is not about soul-crushing rules. It is about the wider Clyde community standing up for itself and urging its representatives to help protect its future. These are measures driven by the people, not by the state, and they depend upon compliance – not compliance in that modern regulatory sense, but in the very roots of the word which mean “to be courteous’ (from the Italian ‘complire’). Compliance is all about respect.

The forefathers and living guardians of Scotland’s fishing communities know all about this. In Barra for example, the island’s calendar was guided by the many different seasons of fishing. The community’s fishermen would change their fishing efforts throughout the course of the year – making sure not to plunder a single species. But with bigger boats and global competition, we can no longer rely upon purely informal arrangements to prevent the damaging effects of those few, but all-too-influential fishermen out-of-touch with the long-term health of their local waters.

COAST shares the deep sense of localism with any fishermen who act to safeguard the future of the fishing industry. We hope that fishermen's associations can help protect the industry long-term and encourage its members and peers to support the emerging laws designed to speed the recovery of fish and shellfish stocks. It is COAST’s view that, along with other measures, we need to give our inshore waters a rest from intensive fishing effort, out of respect for the marine resource. And if we all comply, the Clyde will be all the richer for it.

Project officer appointed

Andrew Binnie has been appointed as COAST’s Marine Project Officer and started work on 4 July. Originally from Glasgow, Andrew has developed strong management skills working with a wide variety of community based organisations ranging from the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust and Castlemilk Economic Development Agency to as far afield as Tajikistan and Madasgascar. He has a MSc in marine and freshwater ecosystems management. His key tasks as Marine Project Officer will be to coordinate the campaign and plan for the establishment of a Marine Protected Area which includes Scotland’s first No Take Zone in Lamlash Bay. He will also develop the capacity of COAST as a dynamic community-led organisation, expand COAST’s programme of community outreach on Arran and North Ayrshire and coordinate on-going scientific research related to the No Take Zone. Monitoring legal and, where necessary, reporting illegal activity within the No Take Zone will also be part of the job. This position and COAST’s activities are partly funded by grants from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and The Underwood Trust. Click here to read more....

A National Marine Plan for the short or long-term?

In COAST's response to the pre-consultation draft of Scotland's National Marine Plan, we are pushing for a genuinely integrated approach to planning and "long-term strategic advantage for the marine environment." Our response calls upon the Scottish Government "to manage the public resource that is the fisheries on behalf of all its people, not just the strongest, wealthiest and often historical lobbyists" Read COAST's response here to understand what issues are at stake.

North Ayrshire Council developing new local plan

COAST has recently responded to NAC's draft Local Development Plan. Click here to see how Arran's coastal resource could be of vital local benefit if strategically promoted.

....OTHER LOCAL NEWS....

Clyde Seasearch reveals maerl bed with 'tidal furrows'

Summer has finally arrived... and with it the diving survey season! Recent Seasearch surveys instigated by COAST have yielded some fascinating data. Six surveys carried out by a dedicated team of volunteers between Port Leak and Bennan Head have revealed maerl tidal furrows and some other interesting habitat discoveries. Click here to see some photos from the survey days on our Facebook page.

Community Council opposes fish farm

Arran's local community council has recently lodged a committee-backed objection to plans for a fish farm on the island's north coast. The response cited a range of concerns ranging from the potential for local pollution and impacts on tourism to the wider food-chain implications of the aquaculture industry. For more background to Scottish Salmon Company's application see documents on the Arran Community Council website.

SIFT forms with wide support for 3 mile limit

For a number of months this newsletter has kept supporters informed of developments following the circulation of a petition to re-instate the 3 mile limit for trawlers and dredgers in the Clyde. The Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust (SIFT) has now been set up by a growing coalition of organisations which believe urgent change in the regulation of Scotland’s inshore fisheries is necessary. The broad objectives and constitution of SIFT are in place and strategic campaign work in the Clyde and beyond is now underway to challenge the current regulatory policy for the wider benefit of Scotland’s coastal economy and ecology. SIFT represents a turning point for the Clyde, as it is harnessing a growing network of coastal stakeholders who are knuckling down to push for strategic reform. More information to follow in the next couple of newsletters.

Clyde Marine Week

The first Clyde Marine Week, organised by MCS, will take place from Friday 29th July to Thursday 4th August, encouraging locals and visitors to both enjoy the Clyde and consider environmental marine issues such as beach litter, pollution and unsustainable fishing methods. The week will involve guided walks, rockpool rambles, boat trips, workshops, talks, film screenings and open days. Click here for more info....

....NATIONAL NEWS....

Salmon numbers up, but what about the West?

Another war of statistics between angling interests and the aquaculture lobby has ignited the debate over the ‘true cost of fish farming’. In response to the SSPO’s recent study which showed no disparity between salmon declines on the west and east coast, RAFTS, ASFB, STA and Fish Legal analysed rod-caught data, which painted a very different picture. It reveals a decline between 1970 and 2009 of catches by 42% in the west compared to a rise of 38% in the east. Angling associations are calling for more cooperation from the industry to tackle major environmental concerns. Although closed containment smolt pens are now on the way out, Scotland is still playing catch up with the tighter regulations enforced by Norway (where most fish farm companies are headquartered).

Research video shows dispersal impacts of aquaculture

Watch the following video from the Lenfest Ocean Program to learn about the latest Stanford University research which can help to monitor and measure the plumes of pollution that can disperse from fish farms.

Scales are key to salmon research

A ground-breaking research technique means that scientists are now able to learn where Atlantic salmon spend their time at sea. By analysing the chemistry of the fish’s scales, scientists can trace a mature salmon back to the feeding grounds of its youth, a valuable insight that may help conserve the dwindling stocks of the majestic species. The research has been conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Southampton, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. Mortality rates of salmon at sea have risen dramatically since the 1970s and preliminary analysis of a study comparing two salmon populations suggests that environmental conditions may be an influential factor. Click here for more background...

Jellyfish join anti-nuclear lobby!

A huge shoal of jellyfish clogged filters to the cooling system at Torness nuclear power station last week. As if coordinated by Greenpeace, the jellyfish swarm meant that scientists at the plant took the precaution of temporarily shutting down the reactor.

Welsh fishermen pool resources

A new fisheries hub at Carmarthenshire aims to pool the catch of local fishermen and reverse the trend of exporting UK fish to continental Europe. The South Wales Fishermen’s Seafood Supplies facility means that local small-boat fishermen can increase their collective supply to meet the demands of a concentrated food retail market dominated by supermarkets with huge buying power. It is the latest step taken by the parent company South and West Wales Fishing Communities Ltd

....OVERSEAS NEWS.....

Illegal fish

Last month, the COAST newsletter featured a video about the damaging impacts of industrial trawlers in West African fisheries, subsidised by European-owned licenses. A new report by CNN about pirate fishing suggests the picture is even muddier. Click here for a worrying insight into the huge problem of trade in illegal fish, which is undermining the coastal communities of Sierra Leone – and why some of the fish that ends up on your plate may well be stolen.

Global aquaculture report

A new report entitled 'Blue Frontiers' complied by the World Fish Center and Conservation International addresses the questions over the sustainability of the aquaculture industry. Citing "well-founded concerns" about the impacts of aquaculture on marine ecosystems and wild fisheries, it is worth a read....

A few fishy facts folks should know

12,000 - 24,000 - the number of tonnes of plastic per year ingested by fish in the North Pacific
3 - the number of ships in Marine Scotland Compliance's fleet of Marine Protection Vessels (MPVs)
$50,000 - the maximum fine for illegal fishing in Bermuda, which recently doubled after measures were passed aimed at protecting national fish stocks.
$1 billion - the value of fish taken illegally from African waters each year. In 2009, up to 16% of EU imports were coming from illegal sources
________________________________________

SPECIES OF THE MONTH

This month’s marine species is featured in COAST’s logo, because it is a vulnerable, but vital foundation of Scotland's marine ecosystem. Maerl is the general term for a group of extremely fragile corraline red algaes, that provide valuable nursery habitat for juvenile fish and shellfish. Maerl beds cover just a small proportion of Europe’s shallow inshore waters, but are a safe haven for a high diversity of marine organisms. Maerl grows at such a slow rate that it is now perceived as a non-renewable resource. Unfortunately, this insight is relatively recent and maerl has been damaged by commercial extraction and demersal dredging. It belongs to a family of corralline algaes thought to be one of the biggest carbon stores on earth.



Latin name: Lithothamnion glaciale
Normal size: highly variable
Diet: as a red seaweed (Rhodophyta), this maerl species can photosythesize and takes its energy from the sun.
________________________________________

THANKS

If you have enjoyed reading this newsletter and feel supportive of COAST, please get in touch. Our work to date has been made possible by charitable funding, government grants, individual donations and a lot of voluntary time and effort. If you would like to offer any financial support, you can donate via the website. Alternatively feel free to contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thank you for reading COAST’s 15th newsletter. We hope you are looking forward to the next month’s edition already.

Coming in the next newsletter:
- Clyde marine week
- An 'in depth' interview with the scientists who are researching Lamlash Bay