Press releases

Mull Association response to projected marine park

The newly formed Mull Aquaculture and Fisheries Association (MAFA) have recently submitted its views on Coastal Marine National Parks to SNH and Ross Finnie.  Nick Turnbull secretary for the organisation was keen to emphasise that it was in the interests of all its members to be involved in sensible conservation methods as all marine harvesting industries depended for their very existence on being sustainable.  He also stated that they wanted where possible, to have the backing of all Mull community organisations and to ensure that as many people as possible are made aware of all the implications.  However, there is considerable fear from its members that the whole concept of CMNP’s has been urban driven and conceived with little or no local consultation with far reaching consequences for every individual both on land and sea

This organisation does not believe that a park management board should be making decisions for their industries and are indeed fearful that a park concept does not historically, fit well with commercial development.  There is also a genuine concern on the makeup of any management board leaving these industries marginalised and under-represented.

It has already been decided that there will be a CMNP somewhere which only adds to the confusion over the other new statutory regulations coming in at the same time, affecting the marine environment, such as the new Inshore Fisheries Groups, the Marine Bill, Regulating and Several orders. It would seem that it has been ill thought out and is being rushed through at an alarming speed with many crucial questions being left unanswered.  Final decisions on the areas will be made by March of this year.  Nick Turnbull said that members were unanimous in their concerns and could see no genuine advantages in being in a Park and indeed failed to understand the necessity for such a Park in their area and for all the above reasons have decided to inform Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) that they do not want a CMNP.   Nick Turnbull stated “We are already seeing the polarisation of different organisations and the reality of conflict within vulnerable communities which did not exist before.  This does not just affect industry groups such as ourselves but every single individual who lives and works in a potential park area.   It is hard enough to get planning permission for fish farms or even house sites but with a new layer of statutory powers in place it is likely to be even harder, this has already been proven from existing land parks.

 If a park goes ahead in this area there is a real possibility of essential economic industries declining despite what SNH may say.  Fishing and aquaculture are established major employers with a knock on effect on the whole Island economy and still offer year round employment for young people with good opportunities for further development.  It would be impossible to agree to anything which could potentially upset these sustainable industries”