CONTENTS Chairman's Column
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2 3 chairman’s column CONTENTS be expected later this year. More news on the establishment Page 2 Chairman’s Column of Scottish Marine Regions can also be anticipated and the Partnership was very pleased to welcome around sixty people Page 3 Contents to the local consultation event about this earlier in the year. Page 4 Marine Planning – What’s Happening? Meanwhile, back at our Campbell House office, we have been delighted to welcome three new part-time members of staff. Page 5 Marine Protected Areas in Scotland Jak Kane joined us late last year and brings strong accounting and administrative skills to the organisation. Following a Page 6 - 7 Marine Conservation Zones Update move from the world of banking, Jak has become much more involved in community and economic regeneration initiatives Page 8 Greater Protection for Scotland’s Sharks and is also working part-time for Machars Action based in Page 9 New Arrival for Wigtown Ospreys Wigtown. Page 10 - 11 Solway Energy Gateway More recently, we have been very pleased to welcome Clair McFarlan who will be known to many as the former Ecologist Page 12 - 13 Update from the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with Solway Heritage. Clair is supporting work on stakeholder engagement and communication – including preparation of Update from the National Scenic Area this issue of Tidelines. We are also very fortunate to have been joined by Frances Edwards who is studying for an MSc in Page 14 -15 Website Review – Solway Shore Stories marine planning at Herriot Watt University on a part-time basis. Frances brings data management and cartography experience Page 16 Candidate Biosphere Reserve Galloway and to the organisation which broadens our skills base. Both Clair Southern Ayrshire and Frances have been engaged on a temporary basis but we are working hard to attract additional funding to enable us to Page 17 Coastal Access – An update on Coastal Access in Cumbria maintain this team and support effective delivery across our Gordon Mann OBE. ambitious work programme. Page 18 First Significant Change in Scallop Dredge Chairman Solway Firth Partnership I am delighted that our next conference will be held in Maryport Technology in over 40 Years It’s probably fair to say that the only constant for the and that we will be co-hosting the event with the Solway Coast Partnership at the moment is change. Implementation of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This partnership working, Page 19 Sustainable Fish – Marine Stewardship Certification Points Marine Acts is bringing about fundamental change and we which is such an integral part of our approach, means we can are very pleased to be working with the marine management share organisation and get best value for both bodies. We to Sustainable Fish bodies for the Solway Firth and wider Irish Sea to support the also hope that the new location will enable people to engage Page 20 Flags and Fisheries Fund integrated cross-border approach which is so fundamental to with the Partnership who have not previously been able to take our purpose. up that opportunity. Page 21 New Phase of Fishing for Litter Project Launched at The Marine Management Organisation is focusing attention on Wishing you a good summer out and about on the Solway Isle of Whithorn development of the first marine plans for the East Inshore and Firth. Offshore areas and has also recently published a Strategic Page 22 Book Review – The Best Bird Watching Sites, Scoping Report for the English marine area. Marine Scotland is developing a National Marine Plan and consultation on this can Gordon The Solway D&G/Cumbria Page 23 A Five Year Solway Coast Plan Champions Haaf Netting Pages 24 – 27 Dates for Your Diary Image Credits: Page 4, Isle of Whithorn, credit Sue Hall Page 5, Black Guillemot, credit Keith Kirk Page 6 – 7, Brittle stars, credit Paul Kay/Natural England, Blue Mussels, credit Paul Kay/Natural England Page 8, Shark tagging, credit www.ssacn.org Page 9, RSPB Wigtown staff, credit RSPB / osprey, www.morguefile.com/ Page 10–11, Solway sunset, www.morguefile.com/ Page 12, Raised mire, credit Countryside Agency, photographer Charlie Hedley, Early Purple Orchid credit Keith Kirk Page 13, Field trip, credit Anna Johnson Page 14 -15, Written in Stone Fleswick Bay, credit Ann Lingard Page 16, Carrick Coast biosphere reserve, credit SUP Page 17, St Bees Coastal Walk, credit Dave Willis (Mountain Sports Photography) Page 18, Scallop gear, credit Chris Bird Page 19, SFSAG haddock fishermen with logo, credit MSCF Page 20 Shrimping raising their catch, credit www.alancairnsphotography.com Page 21 Fishing for litter, credit Solway Firth Partnership Page 22, The Book cover of Best Bird Watching Sites, credit John Miles Page 23, Haaf net fishing, credit Annette Gibbons Page 24, C2C Whitehaven, credit Solway Firth Partnership Page 25, Killantringan Lighthouse, credit Keith Kirk Page 26, Dogfish eggs sacs, credit Keith Kirk Page 27, Powfoot, credit Keith Kirk. 4 5 Marine Protected areas in scotland The background nexT sTeps Scotland (along with the rest of the UK) has designated a number The Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines setting out the approach of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which include Special Areas that will be taken when selecting MPAs in the seas around Marine planning of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Sites Scotland have now been published and the first national of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Ramsar sites. The application of the guidelines is taking place during autumn term “MPA” can be used for several different types of protected 2011. SNH are also currently working with partners and what’s happening? areas within the marine environment. The Marine (Scotland) stakeholders to produce guidelines for the future management Act has established a new power for Marine Protected of MPAs. Areas in the seas around Scotland, to recognise features of New systems of marine planning are being introduced as for collaborative action. In addition to contributing to this national importance and meet international commitments for The assessment of least damaged more natural locations is a result of the UK and Scottish Marine Acts and equivalent initiative, Solway Firth Partnership is working closely with developing a network of MPAs. This complements the MPA one strand of work being undertaken by Scottish MPA project legislation in other administrative areas of the Irish Sea. The Marine Scotland and the Marine Management Organisation power introduced through the UK Marine and Coastal Access partners to identify an ecologically coherent MPA network. It shared aims are to balance competing demands on the sea, to ensure a cohesive approach across the England / Scotland Act for offshore waters around Scotland. aims to identify locations where there is little known activity protect the marine environment and support sustainable border. The Partnership is also building stronger links with and may therefore be in a relatively natural state. Following economic development. colleagues on the Isle of Man and in Northern Ireland working MPAs will protect important marine habitats and wildlife, the Scottish MPA project’s recent workshop on the assessment on marine planning, biodiversity and fisheries management. geology and geomorphology, as well as features of cultural of least damaged more natural locations, a review has opened The Solway Firth falls under the jurisdiction of the UK Marine importance such as shipwrecks and submerged landscapes. in order to allow stakeholders to comment on the areas that and Coastal Access Act and the Marine (Scotland) Act as To ensure marine planning is based on accurate and up to The Act also allows local communities to put forward proposals have been identified as least damaged more natural locations. well as being closely linked to neighbouring administrations date information, the Partnership is working with local people for Nature Conservation and Demonstration and Research on the Isle of Man and in Northern Ireland. Taking a joined- to gather information about marine based activities. The MPAs. The webpage www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marine- up approach to planning for the Solway Firth and the Irish work will help assess the compatibility of different activities, environment/mpanetwork/engagement/workshop2/ldmn Sea as a whole is imperative if the high level objectives all improve understanding of the way the area is used and identify contains details of the review and how to respond. All administrations aspire to are to be achieved. opportunities for better management. A report on this work The scoTTish marine responses should aim to be returned by 13 July 2011 for - Sectoral Interactions in the Solway Firth - will be produced inclusion in the analysis to inform the first application of the The University of Liverpool is leading work to support a co- later this year. proTecTed areas projecT selection guidelines. Any comments received after this date ordinated approach across the Irish Sea and identify areas The Scottish Marine Protected Areas Project is a joint initiative may be incorporated in the first iteration, and will be included between Marine Scotland, the Joint Nature Conservation in any later iterations and aid the development of an MPA Committee (JNCC), Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural network. Much More inforMation on Marine planning is available online by visiting: Heritage. A wide range of work is being carried out under the The Marine Management Organisation: www.marinemanagement.org.uk/marineplanning Marine Scotland www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/seamanagement. Details of the two previous workshops are also available online A summary of the marine planning approaches being taken by all six administrations in the Irish Sea - National Perspectives on Marine Planning - can be project to allow the best possible advice to be provided to found on the downloads section of the Solway Firth Partnership website.