dunedin
Well-Known Member
The BBC were talking about new Marine Protected Areas being designated to protect Minnie Whales and Basking Sharks in Scotland. These are great creatures which we want to continue to see in our waters. But I wondered what specifically is proposed to be done to help them.
Turns out it is a Public Consultation only at this stage, but strong likelihood they will be enacted as proposed. See document https://www.gov.scot/publications/a...rine-protected-areas-scottish-waters/pages/1/
There is a lot of bureaucratic wordage, and difficult to find actual specifics proposed. But I do worry slightly about what this might mean for boating. For example
- in a number of places a key management requirement listed is to minimise/reduce collisions of vessels with the species of interest - Minkie Whales, Basking Sharks, Russo Dolphins. But I have not found anything which actually gives evidence of numbers of collisions with vessels currently. Is this a real issue? And the proposed management measure is a vague “implement best practice for collision avoidance”. What does that actually mean?
- pleasure boating is listed as having a tiny impact cost - if I read correctly £1,000 (over 20 years). What is this and is it reasonable (sounds very implausible, likely either zero or much bigger)
- pleasure boating is not even one of the activities mentioned as happening in some areas such as The Shiants, whereas this is an important anchorage and staging post between inner and outer Hebrides.
(The above are approximations of quotes, as too difficult to swap between large document and YBW on iPad without losing place)
Anybody know who is involved with these from a sailing perspective?
Turns out it is a Public Consultation only at this stage, but strong likelihood they will be enacted as proposed. See document https://www.gov.scot/publications/a...rine-protected-areas-scottish-waters/pages/1/
There is a lot of bureaucratic wordage, and difficult to find actual specifics proposed. But I do worry slightly about what this might mean for boating. For example
- in a number of places a key management requirement listed is to minimise/reduce collisions of vessels with the species of interest - Minkie Whales, Basking Sharks, Russo Dolphins. But I have not found anything which actually gives evidence of numbers of collisions with vessels currently. Is this a real issue? And the proposed management measure is a vague “implement best practice for collision avoidance”. What does that actually mean?
- pleasure boating is listed as having a tiny impact cost - if I read correctly £1,000 (over 20 years). What is this and is it reasonable (sounds very implausible, likely either zero or much bigger)
- pleasure boating is not even one of the activities mentioned as happening in some areas such as The Shiants, whereas this is an important anchorage and staging post between inner and outer Hebrides.
(The above are approximations of quotes, as too difficult to swap between large document and YBW on iPad without losing place)
Anybody know who is involved with these from a sailing perspective?
Last edited:
