The Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism The Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP

Monday 30 July 2012

Dear Fergus Ewing, Minister for Tourism,

Protect marine wildlife to help protect tourism

We are proud to be part of ’s highly successful wildlife tourism sector. Around £100 million is spent in Scotland by coastal wildlife tourists annually, and £63 million by marine wildlife tourists. This creates vital jobs, income and opportunities for many of Scotland’s most fragile rural communities. Visitors travel from all around the world to enjoy our spectacular wildlife, including our globally important seabirds, whales and dolphins. We want to ensure this continues.

Our businesses rely on Scotland’s reputation as a spectacular wildlife watching destination, which in turn depends on the protection you provide to our iconic marine life.

We are therefore asking that you, as Minister for Tourism, support Scotland’s tourism sector by supporting a network of well-managed Marine Protected Areas to protect and restore our precious marine environment, including our whales, dolphins and seabirds.

Yours sincerely,

Warwick Lister-Kaye Susan Phillips Field Centre Aurorabearealis, The Studio , -shire North Kessock, Inverness

Iain Wilson Chris Jackson Calanna boat charters Chalice Charters Knoydart, Inverness-shire Oban, Argyll and Bute

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Wendy Mattingley Elizabeth Riddiford Cluny House Gardens Exclusively Fair Isle traditional knitwear Aberfeldy, Perthshire Fair Isle, Shetland

James and Florence Stout Nick Riddiford The Fair Isle Marine Environment and Freelance ecologist and tour leader Tourism Initiative Fair Isle, Shetland Fair Isle, Shetland

Philip Price Jon and Angela Mercer Loch Visions - Freelance wildlife Glenloy Wildlife photographer and tour guide Fort William, Inverness-shire Kilchrenan, Argyll

Peter Cairns Russell and Elspeth Cheshire Northshots Ocean Breeze Rib Tours Glenfeshie, Kingussie Isle of Arran, Argyll and Bute

Steve Sankey Eric Wardlaw Orcadian Wildlife Phoenix Boat Trips South Ronaldsay, Orkney Inverness

John Clarke Tom Brock OBE, Chief Executive, Puffin Cruises Scottish Seabird Centre Moray Firth, Aberdeenshire North Berwick, East Lothian

Dr Jonathan Wills Neil Corstorphine Seabirds-and-Seals Sea Eagle Adventures Bressay, Shetland St Andrews, Fife

Scott Aston Tony Hill Sea.fari Adventures Forth Sea.fari Adventures Oban Forth, Lothian Oban, Argyll

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David Ainsley Richard Fairbairns Sealife Adventures Sea Life Surveys Easdale, By Oban Isle of Mull, Argyll

Nigel Smith Colette Dubois and Michael Marshall Seaprobe Atlantis St Hilda Sea Adventures Isle of Skye Dunoon, Argyll and Bute

David Brackenbury Bob Richmond South Lighthouse guesthouse Tay Maritime Action Fair Isle, Shetland Dundee city, Dundee

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