Is the Scottish Government being deliberately
misleading when it says Scotland's new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), to be
announced next month, will save seabirds?
We hope not but, RSPB Scotland and our
supporters are expecting the list of MPAs to offer little for seabirds, given
that, as a group of species, they have been marginalised in site selection. We
hope this will be corrected.
New MPAs protecting sandeels from industrial
fishing are welcome. An area from north-east Scotland to Northumberland has
been closed since 2000. This closure and restrictions to local sandeel
fisheries are championed by RSPB but these measures cannot prevent other
development pressures on sandeel grounds. We look forward to the Firth of Forth
appearing at the top of the list of MPAs to protect sandeels as this is one of
the most important breeding areas in the North Sea and vital for seabird
colonies.
Scientists are concerned about the decline in
seabirds and our research shows how this could have devastating impacts on the
economies of rural areas which rely on wildlife tourism. Protecting seabirds
and supporting communities requires MPAs designated for seabirds.
Lloyd Austin, Head of Conservation Policy, RSPB
Scotland, 2 Lochside View, Edinburgh.
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