Urgent need to address the problem of potholes

There is a real need to address the large quantity of potholes on Islay between Port Charlotte and Portnahaven and the long overdue resurfacing of the Claddach road is still needing to be done. The constant flooding of roads across Islay is rapidly accelerating their deterioration.

Even in the areas that don’t flood, the amount of heavy traffic on our roads means that pothole repairs only last a few weeks at best. We can see evidence of this on Mansfield Road in Port Ellen and at the bottom of Main Street in Bowmore.

As part of the current council administration, I will continue to lobby relentlessly for better infrastructure for my council ward.

Councillor Alastair Redman, Kintyre and Islands.

stock, caught by divers and creel fishermen. The case for better spatial management and a modernised return of the three-mile limit is clearly being made by such destruction.

The goal of wealth and jobs was why the three-mile limit was set in place originally. The three-mile limit was created to protect spawning grounds and maintain the fishery.

The trawl closure within three nautical miles of the coast was repealed in 1984 under pressure from the industry. Thereafter, bottom fish landings went into terminal decline, with all species collapsing to zero or near zero landings by the early 21st century. Very soon, over-fishing resulted in the loss of many of the fisheries, followed by increasing bottom trawling and bottom dredging doing untold damage to seabeds and ecosystems.

Inshore waters require better spatial management and good compliance with Marine Scotland enforcing this. Until then, we shall continue to lose precious habitats and see diminishing returns in the truly sustainable fisheries.

Sally Campbell,

Blairbeg House, Lamlash, Isle of Arran.