Marine national park put on hold as SNP plans to 'sort out' sea laws   ALEX Salmond's SNP government is to shelve plans for Scotland's first marine national park, The Scotsman has learned.   Richard Lochhead, the minister for rural affairs, said he did not believe that creating a coastal national park was a priority and he had not been persuaded there was enough support to justify it.   Mr Lochhead stressed that the national park plans were not being ditched completely, and there was a chance they might be resurrected in a few years, but he made it clear that they would be put on hold for the foreseeable future.   "Do we have a principled objection to a marine national park? No. Do we believe that we should sort out other legislation first? Yes. Are we convinced there is demand for a new park? Not necessarily," the minister said.   Speaking in Glasgow after addressing fishing industry leaders, Mr Lochhead described marine regulations as a mess and said his first priority was to devise a simpler and better framework for the sea through a marine bill. Similar plans are being worked up in London and Brussels.   He said: "Our priority at the moment is sorting out the dog's breakfast that is marine legislation in Scotland. We have a manifesto commitment and cross-party support for a marine bill."   Mr Lochhead said this would co-ordinate the demands of existing users, such as fishermen, with those of new interest groups, such as organisations involved in wave and tidal energy, sea tourism and the environment.   The minister's announcement came as a shock to the Scottish Greens, who have campaigned for years for a marine national park and believed they were close to achieving it.   It is the latest in a series of rifts between the SNP and the Greens, who had hoped to form a governing coalition after the election.   The Greens were angered by the SNP's decision to scrap tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges and to drive through with major transport projects.   Last night, Green MSP Robin Harper said: "I would be very concerned if marine national parks in Scotland are being shelved. I was instrumental in making sure that the national parks legislation included the possibility of setting up a marine national park, and am concerned that after eight years we appear to be still as far from this vision as we were in 1999.   "The previous executive took a top-down approach which did not appeal to local communities. The SNP has the opportunity to take a bottom-up participative approach that would give our coastal communities the chance to assess the immense environmental, social and economic opportunities they may be missing out on."   Other environmental organisations were more sanguine, insisting that the priority was to have a proper marine bill, rather than a single marine national park.   The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Scotland and WWF said their priority was protection for the whole Scottish coast, rather than a national park.   The previous Labour-led executive had driven forward with the national park plans since 2005, putting them out to consultation earlier this year.   An area on the Argyll and Wester Ross coast, including the Argyll islands, the Small Isles and the Ardnamurchan peninsula, had emerged as the preferred option, although no decision had been taken.   However, the Executive's consultation process had revealed widespread opposition to the plans, particularly from the fishing industry, aquaculture interests and other business leaders, all of whom were worried about the effect that a national park would have on local economies.   As with its two terrestrial counterparts, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and Cairngorms parks, the aim of a marine park would be to enhance natural and cultural heritage, as well as to promote the sustainable use of natural resources. It was also intended to improve visitors' understanding and enjoyment of the area, and the sustainable development of its communities.   Scottish Natural Heritage was one of the bodies pushing hard for the marine national park to be established but no-one from SNH was available for comment last night.

Last modified  Monday May 28, 2007