Coast Concerns

Sir, Community Of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) expects a Marine Conservation Order (MCO) detailing man- agement plans for the South Arran Marine Protected Area (MPA) designated in July 2104 to be laid before the Scottish Parliament in the very near future. The MPA, which the local community has fought extremely hard for, encompasses an area out to approximately three nautical miles from Corriegills Point on the east coast of Arran to just north of Drumadoon Point in the west.

The MCO for the South Arran MPA will be angler-friendly and allow scallop diving and creeling (except for within the No Take Zone and over-sensitive areas of maerl and seagrass beds).

As drafted, it will exclude scallop dredging within the entire area and bottom trawling from within the inshore area. MPAs are designed to be multi-use areas and the South Arran MPA will not impact on the current operations of the St Molios Fish Farm owned by The Scottish Salmon Company (TSSC).

However, there has been a presumption throughout the consultation process, and in risk assessments to fragile habitats and species that the MPA contains, that there would be no further expansion to the fish farm. COAST is therefore alarmed to learn that TSSC has applied for a 20 per cent expansion of its operations within Lamlash Bay, equivalent to nearly three additional 80m (in circumference) cages.

This will mean higher fish stocks, more fish feed, fish effluent and pollution from chemicals used to treat fish diseases and sea lice infestations. COAST believes that this will be detrimental to the health of Lamlash Bay, the recovering No Take Zone and South Arran MPA.

We will be writing to SEPA asking them to reject this unsympathetic application. We also encourage all Arran residents and visitors to pick up their pens and let SEPA know this planned expansion is unacceptable.

Yours,

Andrew Binnie COAST