Local Community Third Party Bid for a Marine Protected Area for Gairloch and Loch Ewe areas submitted
Posted: Thursday 31 May, 2012 @ 11:48:48
An initial Third Party bid has been submitted to SNH on behalf of the local communities of Gairloch and Wester Loch Ewe areas for the designation of a nature conservation Marine Protected Area for Loch Gairloch and wester Loch Ewe.
The bid has been prepared following meetings and discussion with local fishermen, tourism interests and many other residents, and covers areas for which there is wide-ranging support within the local area.
The bid is for a MPA which will protect remaining habitats and species of nature conservation concern, including those that support fish and shellfish fisheries and the wildlife that supports many local tourism businesses. We also hope that MPA designation will support restoration and revival of many of the habitats and fish populations that have been in decline over the past 25 years following the removal of the ‘three-mile ban’ on mobile fishing gear around the coast of Scotland.
We plan to follow up this initial bid with a Third party bid for a research and demonstration MPA to cover additional coastal waters between Loch Gairloch and Loch Ewe. For this we are currently awaiting further guidance.
The bid document can be found on the ‘downloads page’ of this website by clicking here, or on at the following link:
http://www.wrft.org.uk/files/Gairloch&LochEwe3rdPartyMPABid31MAY19Jun2012forweb.pdf
Some background information on the bid can be found on a presentation given at the public meeting at Gairloch on 7th May 2012, and can be found by clicking here, or at the following link:
http://www.wrft.org.uk/files/MPAPresentationGairloch7thMay2012forweb.pdf
There is still time (until notified here otherwise) to submit letters or messages of support for, or opposition to, this bid. Please can you send these to Peter Cunningham at info@wrft.org.uk for collation and to be forwarded on in batches to SNH.