Beachd Ailein

Open letter from Robin Currie,

Argyll and Bute Council Leader

The rest of Scotland has now had two updates on the easing of lockdown restrictions – but island communities remain in the dark. This is deeply disappointing.

Following your first announcement on March 16 about plans to exit lockdown, I wrote to the Scottish Government highlighting the questions and concerns of our island communities who had been left unsure, uncertain and completely unable to plan for the future – unlike the rest of Scotland.

I was able to meet with Aileen Campbell MSP, in her role as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, within a few days and set out the need for fairness and clarity for our islands in terms of updates about changes to restrictions. However, even after the second announcement on March 30, there was still no update for our islands. And now, more than a week later and despite updates in the interim about the reopening of schools, they’re still waiting – it’s not acceptable.

Just like everyone else, the people on our islands are desperate to know when they can reconnect with family and friends. Island businesses are equally frantic to know when and how they can make plans for the weeks ahead.

But, unlike everyone else, our islands are at a complete disadvantage. They still don’t know what is happening, or when. They deserve better. The Scottish Government needs to respond to our islands’ call for clarity and let them, like the rest of the country, start to think and plan ahead.

Mark Steward, Scottish Sea Farms (SSF), assures Oban Community Council that its three proposed expansions will create 15 new roles. SSF’s own planning application states clearly that NO new jobs will be created at each site. Four externally contracted staff might be brought in-house – so no new jobs.

How can you trust a company that appears to pressure its staff to send letters of support to the council: ‘I was asked by my manager…’, only to find they have resubmitted the next day with the giveaway phrase removed.

We are bombarded by PR on how wonderful salmon farms are. Tavish Scott says so almost daily with huge expenditure backed by the ailean@obantimes.co.uk

Shiubhail seann seòladair urramach, agus mar a bhiodh dùil agus mar bu dual tha sinn uile a’ guidhe cala sìtheil, sìorraidh roimhe. Tha laoich an Dàrna Cogaidh gu math tearc a-nise, ach bidh cuimhne mheasail aig mòran agaibh air cuid aca, ’s dòcha feadhainn a bha càirdeach dhuibh, agus theagamh gum bi bàs a’ Phrionnsa Philip ag ùrachadh nan cuimhneachain sin. Faodaidh gun dùisg cuimhne air coibhneas, air ealantas obrach, agus cuideachd mu ghaisgeachd ma thug iad iomradh air na chunnaic is na dh’fhuiling iad nam beatha. ’S e sgeul as bitheanta a chluinnear mu sheann laoich an dà Chogadh cho leisg ‘s a bha mòran aca bruidhinn mu na thachair dhaibh is riutha. Bha iad mar gum biodh air doras a dhùnadh gu tur air a’ chuid sin den cuimhne agus air cuimseachadh gu tur air an t-saorsa ‘s an t-sìth a chuidich iad fhèin a ghleidheadh. Ach ’s coma dè an aithris a thug iad, neo dè na chaidh aca air a choileanadh, dh’fhàg gach fear is tè aca uile dìleab cuimhne air an cuirear luach, agus a tha airidh air spèis, agus nuair a thig e gu h-aon ’s gu dhà ’s neònach mur a bu mhath leinn uile leithid sin a chosnadh.

Chan eil teagamh nach bi mòran a bheir iomradh air buannachdan beartais nuair a bhios iad a’ beachdachadh air beatha agus dìleab Dhiùc Dhùn Èideann, ach saoilidh mi gum bi

Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), while outrageously claiming opponents are somehow financed to object. We must judge what to believe from available evidence: Published data on mortalities – an industry-wide average of 26 per cent for 2017’s smolts. Regulators’ belief that a certain level of environmental damage is inevitable and acceptable. Bias in the planning system which means Argyll and Bute Council has never used potential harm to wild fish as grounds to refuse a proposal. Scottish Government’s failure to assess the sea’s capacity to absorb twice the pollution by 2030. Constant images of lice-ridden and diseased fish in multiple farms.

Slaughter of every cleaner fish after it has done its job.

Breaches of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s seabed environmental standards – and never a fine or prosecution. Discharge of pesticides into the sea. mòran eile a bhios ga chuimhneachadh air sgàth chothroman, brosnachadh, agus misneachd a thug e dhaibh nan òige tron Sgeama ainmeil a stèidhich e ann an 1956 agus a mhaireas mar shàr chuimhneachan air. Bho chionn ghoirid thàinig mi tarsainn air an leabhran beag a bh’ agam fhìn ag iomairt air Sgeama Dhiùc Dhùn Èideann ann an Àrd-sgoil Phort Rìgh.

Thòisich mi air sa cheathramh bliadhna agus bha mi air ìre an airgid a chrìochnachadh nuair a dh’fhàg mi an sgoil, agus a dh’fhàg mi cuideachd an Sgeama às mo dhèidh. Nan robh cothrom air a bhith ann tòiseachadh na bu tràithe ’s dòcha gun robh cuid againn air duais an òir a bhuinnig, ach thug fiù ’s na rinn mise misneachd dhomh a th’ air a bhith feumail fad mo bheatha agus bidh mi tric a’ smaoineachadh le spèis air an luchd-teagaisg a bha nam pàirt den bhrosnachadh chudromach sin. Mar a tha eachdraidh ag aithris bha òige aonranach agus riaslach aig an Diùc agus theagamh gun robh sin na phàirt de mhàthair-adhbhar an Sgeama a steidheachadh, gus cothroman a thoirt do dh’ òigridh bho gach ìre sòisealta agus eaconamach. Abair dìleab, ged nach biodh ach an Sgeama mar chuimhneachan air Philip, is milleanan feadh an t-saoghail air buannachadh thar nam bliadhnaichean bho thòisich i!

Cynical manoeuvring by the SSPO to cling on to the acoustic deterrent devices it has been told are illegally harming cetaceans.

Escapes of 50,000 fish from Carradale during a storm Mowi promised its farm could withstand.

Three years after a parliamentary inquiry concluded the status quo was not acceptable, very little has changed, while the industry has received consent for 33,000 tonnes more biomass.

The Scottish Government is as desperate to cling on to outdated, unacceptably damaging farming methods for economic reasons, to the detriment of everything else.

It is not surprising salmon farming companies, whose aim is to maximise profits for foreign owners, are enthusiastically exploiting Scotland while they can. Their shareholders never see the coast of Argyll or the impacts of the farms. Nor will they care about redundant employees once the profits dry up.

Dennis Archer, Scottish Greens, Oban.