Review of the Skye & Lochalsh Biodiversity Action Plan 2003 – 2014 A report to the Skye & Lochalsh Environment Forum by Ro Scott May 2015 1 Contents Page Highlights – A selection of successful projects 3 1. Introduction 4 2. Analysis of projects 6 3. Changes since 2003 10 4. Gaps and opportunities 15 5. Cross-cutting issues 33 6. Where to next? 36 Appendix 1 38 Throughout the document, direct quotes from the original 2003 Skye & Lochalsh Biodiversity Action Plan are shown in a smaller typeface. Acknowledgements Thanks are due to current members of the Skye & Lochalsh Environment Forum (SLEF) Biodiversity sub-Group for their enthusiastic input to this review (Roger Cottis, Louise Love, James Merryweather and John Phillips) and to others who supplied information or commented on a draft (Giles Brockman FCS, Alison Mclennan RSPB, Andrew McBride SNH, Brian Neath South-West Ross Field Club and Alex Turner SNH). Thanks are also due to Jonathan Willet (Highland Council Biodiversity Officer) for funding and managing the contract. Author Ms Ro Scott BA, MSc, CEnv., MCIEEM, Peddieston Cottage, Cromarty, IV11 8XX. [email protected] 2 Ten Years of the Skye & Lochalsh Biodiversity Action Plan *** Highlights *** (in no particular order) SLEF established - website, posters and postcards produced Community Outreach Officer employed for two years ‘Skye & Lochalsh Wildlife’ leaflet produced Mink monitoring project undertaken Action taken against Japanese knotweed Moth ID training undertaken User-friendly Seashore Guide produced Slug identification evening held Lever & Mulch Rhododendron eradication course held Black-throated Diver rafts installed on Loch Cluanie Biodiversity Day held at Balmacara Sedge identification day held on Raasay 3 1. Introduction The Skye & Lochalsh Biodiversity Action Plan was first published in December 2003, as one of seven Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) produced for the Highland Council area, under the auspices of the Highland Biodiversity Project 2002-05. The Plan was drafted, with assistance from Janet Bromham (Highland Biodiversity Officer), by the Skye & Lochalsh Biodiversity Group (SLBG), whose then members represented the following organisations, interests and localities: John Bannister Crofting Scottish Crofting Foundation Kylerhea Jryna Batters Community groups Sluggans Woodland Snizort Deborah Bogenhuber Tourism White Wave Activities Kilmuir Dr Stephen Bungard Ecology & recording BSBI Raasay Jed Carter (Chairman) Independent Waterstein David Glover Land owning NFUS & SLF Inverinate Diana Holt Education NTS Ranger Service Kintail Angus McHattie Marine & crofting Breakish Dr Alison MacLennan Wildlife & geology RSPB Scotland Broadford Colin Parsons Woodland Fernaig Community Trust Achmore John Phillips Education Highland Council Ranger Service Broadford (BSBI: Botanical Society of the British Isles, NFUS: National Farmers Union (Scotland), NTS: National Trust for Scotland, RSPB: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, SLF: Scottish Landowners Federation) During the subsequent twelve-year period, several different funding regimes (e.g. Highland BAP Implementation Programme 2005-06; Communities Project for Highland Biodiversity 2006-09) have enabled the Group and its successor organisation, the Skye and Lochalsh Environment Forum (SLEF) to undertake approximately 30 biodiversity projects in Skye & Lochalsh. An interim review of all the Highland BAPs was undertaken by the EnviroCentre consultancy in 2006, producing an Implementation Plan for 2006-09 consisting of four suggested projects ((i) Japanese knotweed control, (ii) Lochalsh and South Skye Butterfly Survey, (iii) Birds and bat boxes associated with buildings, and (iv) Reducing mammal casualties on roads.) Two of these ((i) and (iii)) were taken forward. After twelve years of progress and many changes in the legislative and policy context for biodiversity work in Scotland, it was considered timely to undertake an overall review of the achievements of the Skye & Lochalsh LBAP since its beginnings in 2003, and look to the future. The contract brief included the following elements: a) Briefly summarise each of the projects carried out by SLEF and others since 2003 and their relevance to the Skye and Lochalsh Biodiversity Objectives in the Action Plan. 4 b) Identify the main gaps where action has been inadequate for the broad balanced coverage of habitats and species. c) Suggest future projects or series of actions that could be undertaken to enhance the biodiversity of Skye and Lochalsh. d) Provide a table of biodiversity related legislative and policy changes since 2003. 5 2. Analysis of projects This Chapter considers only to those projects carried out by the Skye & Lochalsh Biodiversity Group (SLBG) and its successor, SLEF. Because of the number and complexity of biodiversity-related projects carried out by the multiplicity of other organisations operating in Skye & Lochalsh, it was not possible to subject these to the same levels of analysis. They are summarised, as far as was possible within the constraints of the contract, in Appendix 1 (p. 38). The projects carried out by SLBG/SLEF were analysed according to four different aspects: taxonomic group; habitat category; geographical area (by Community Council); and functional type of project. Results are summarised on pp. 8/9 in the form of pie charts. This analysis used merely the number of projects, with each project scoring 1 for each category to which it applied. Consequently in some categories the total score may be greater than the number of projects. It was not possible to do the analysis using costings because this information was not available for all projects. 2.1 Taxonomic groups Birds Higher plants Mammals Lower plants Fish Fungi Invertebrates The majority of projects (13) covered multiple taxonomic groups. This was largely because most projects were concerned with raising awareness of biodiversity generally, or in a particular environment e.g. marine biodiversity, and did not pick out particular taxa for attention. Of those which did, four projects concerned higher plants, three each for invertebrates and birds, and two each for mammals and herptiles. There were no SBG/SLEF projects covering fish, lower plants, or fungi. 2.2 Habitat category The habitat categories used are those which form the chapter headings in the original Skye & Lochalsh BAP: Sea & Coast Woodland Freshwater Mountain & Moorland In-bye Croft and Farm Land The Built Environment Thirteen projects covered multiple habitat categories. Excluding these, six projects involved the marine environment (Sea & Coast), three each for freshwater and 6 woodland, two for the built environment and one for in-bye croft and farm land. If the multiple-habitat score of 13 is added to each of the other habitats, this gives a much more even split with between 13 (for Mountain and Moor, which had no habitat-specific projects, but was covered by the general ones) and 19 for Sea & Coast. 2.3 Community Council area Community Council areas were chosen as the measure of geographical coverage of the LBAP because they each contain one or more human settlements, plus an area of less densely populated hinterland. The Skye & Lochalsh LBAP area includes 23 Community Councils: Braes Kyleakin & Kylerhea Skeabost Broadford & Strath Lochalsh Sleat Dornie and District Loch Duich Staffin Dunvegan Minginish Stromeferry Glendale Plockton Struan Glenelg & Arnisdale Portree Uig Kilmuir Raasay Waternish Kyle Sconser Nine projects were Skye & Lochalsh-wide, and deemed to cover all community Council areas. Otherwise, the areas with the most projects were those containing the main towns, or with significant community-based activity (i.e. Broadford and Strath 5 projects, Sleat 3 and Portree 2). Dunvegan, Glenelg & Arnisdale, Lochalsh, Loch Duich, Raasay, Skeabost and Stromeferry had one project each. The remaining 13 Community Council areas were not the focus of any specific projects. Five projects were not geographically –based and CC area was not applicable (e.g. websites, posters etc.). 2.4 Functional type biodiversity audit habitat or species management education and awareness-raising interpretation (none in this category) habitat creation (none in this category) The vast majority of projects (22) were concerned with education and awareness- raising. Seven projects involved biodiversity audit, and six habitat or species management. There were no projects involving habitat creation or interpretation. (These categories have been used in reviews of two other Highland LBAPs.) 7 NUMBER OF PROJECTS BY TAXONOMIC GROUP Birds 3 Mammals 2 Reptiles & amphibians Multi-taxa 13 2 3 Invertebrates 4 Higher plants NUMBER OF PROJECTS BY HABITAT CATEGORY Sea & Coast 6 Multi-habitat 13 3 Freshwater 1 3 2 In-bye Croft and Farm Land Woodland The Built Environment PROJECTS BY COMMUNITY COUNCIL AREA (EXCLUDING THOSE WITH NONE) Broadford & Strath S&L-wide (all CCs) 5 Dunvegan 9 1 1 Glenelg & Arnisdale 1 Lochalsh 1 1 2 Loch Duich 3 1 1 Stromeferry Portree Sleat Raasay Skeabost NUMBER OF PROJECTS BY FUNCTIONAL TYPE Habitat or species Biodiversity management audit 6 7 22 Education and awareness- raising 9 3. Changes since 2003 3.1 General Table 1 (pp.13/14) summarises changes to biodiversity-related legislation and policy since 2003. It is not a comprehensive list, but illustrates the extent to which the background to biodiversity work is constantly evolving. In the twelve years since the Skye & Lochalsh BAP was published, considerable progress has been made across the board,