Conservation Archives - Page 10 of 14

USAN/Scottish Wild Salmon Company – A Closer Look

Environment, Featured, News 10 Responses »

Apr 282014

Scottish Wild Salmon Company sign in Gardenstown 27 April 2014. Image Credit: Suzanne Kelly

By Suzanne Kelly.

When Scottish Wild Salmon Company (SWSC), a subsidiary of Montrose-based USAN Salmon Fisheries Ltd arrived in Gardenstown, the landowner made it clear there was no permission to shoot seals from his property. At least one such illegal seal shooting took place last year, yet no one was charged.

Tourists who had witnessed the episode last year abruptly cancelled bookings and left; some locals were concerned; some angered.

This year the SWSC pledged not to use lethal methods to deter seals from going near its salmon nets near the Ythan Estuary. The SWSC arrived in Gardenstown and Crovie this year to net large numbers of salmon (we have asked for figures but no answer has been received yet). They arrived with guns.

Sea Shepherd arrived to monitor the situation this year. Here’s what’s happened since.

A Video Nasty

Sea Shepherd personnel were harassed by SWSC operatives, and a video was released, showing an example of this. The video showed three SWSC operatives cursing at, and intimidating Sea Shepherd and trying to stop them filming which Sea Shepherd had every right to do.

The owner of the area of land in front of the building and yard SWSC operates from has forbidden shooting. Sea Shepherd’s internet posting reads:-

“We have debated long and hard over whether to release this video showing Scottish Wild Salmon Company staff behaving in a threatening and abusive manner to one of our volunteers. Our final decision was made for us when these very same employees arrived at our beach clean last Friday to intimidate our staff, even making sexually explicit comments to one of our female volunteers.

“We hope that the residents of Gardenstown and Crovie will continue to come forward to tell the Scottish Wild Salmon Company that they are bringing disgrace to this otherwise beautiful part of Scotland not only with their seal slaughter but also with their behaviour in public.”

In a concurrent development, invoices were hand delivered to the Sea Shepherd charity demanding thousands of pounds in fees for filming in the harbour area; these invoices were since withdrawn. It is understood that not everyone in the harbour board was happy with these invoices being issued in the first place.

Lawbreaking?

It is proven that Sea Shepherd were threatened by people intent on shooting seals who had rifles; why there is no prosecution forthcoming is unclear.

Crovie looking towards location of wild salmon netting 27 April 2014. Image Credit: Suzanne Kelly

It has also been proven that there is no permission to shoot seals granted by the landowner: no one can shoot seals in Gardenstown and Crovie lands.

What men are doing walking around the area with shotguns then is something of a worry and certainly reason for the law enforcement agencies to step in. (Aberdeen Voice readers may well want to compare and contrast the way in which men with rifles are walking around these coastal towns, having been proven to engage in threatening behaviour, and the ‘Siege of Heathryfold’).

Aberdeen Voice has been told that the SWSC’s operatives are living in a non-residential building. While that is not a huge violation of law, it is still illegal. However, the more serious accusation has been made to Aberdeen Voice that guns are being stored in the SWSC’s building.

Aberdeen Voice will share this allegation with SWSC and the police, and will report back with any responses.

If the rifles are not being stored in the building in question, then where are they being legally stored? Did the police investigate how the guns are being stored when they investigated the video of Sea Shepherd’s man being threatened by people who had rifles?

A Walk on the Wild Salmon Side

Aberdeen Voice visited Gardenstown and Crovie, and spoke to locals and Sea Shepherd. No SWSC employees were visible, and their premises locked; it was a weekend. SWSC has given their position in an earlier email, the contents of which appear in the comments section of a previous article, and will be welcome to explain some of the issues arising from this article.

Despite proponents saying that shooting seals is essential and no concern to the people of the north east, many locals are very much opposed to the idea of shooting seals. As one explained:

“A presentation was made to the local heritage society [about studies done involving St Andrew’s University about sonic deterrents to seals]; there are ways to stop salmon being eaten by seals. There are sonic devices which keep the seals away, and there are ways to construct salmon nets so that seals can’t get in. Shooting should not be happening.”

Another said:

“I put the blame for this on Marine Scotland. I tried to get answers from them and find out how and why they issued any permits to kill seals. I telephoned – but I never got the promised answer back. With salmon farming taking place (which has lots of room for improvement in how the salmon are treated), there should not be any large scale netting of wild salmon. The smaller anglers are against what’s happening as well.”

And another local added:

Gardenstown harbour 27 April 2014. Image Credit: Suzanne Kelly.

“I have been documenting seal shooting since the seal was shot from Crovie pier last year. I will keep doing so, and I am opposed to SWSC shooting seals. I think there are two net areas (to the east) of Crovie.”

Finally, one local resident commented:

“…there are studies done on the material found in seal waste; I believe the study showed that salmon is not a large part of the seal’s diet.” [seals eat a wide variety of sea life; salmon is far from their only food].

During our visit, Aberdeen Voice did not find a single local resident who wants gunman shooting seals in the area.

Non Net Income: Value of Wildlife Tourism

Some would spread the belief that the salmon industries, wild and farmed, must be allowed to do as they please for the benefit of the rural communities. The government says otherwise; wildlife tourism is big business. A Scottish Government 2010 report, ‘The True Value of Wildlife Tourism’ advises:

“… wildlife tourism annually brings in a net economic impact of £65 million to Scotland’s economy and creates the equivalent of 2,760 full time jobs.

“The report also found that 1.12 million trips were made every year to or within Scotland with the main aim of viewing wildlife. This form of tourism appealed greatly to UK-based visitors and Scots themselves, accounting for 56 per cent of trips. And it was these UK visitors who generated 75 per cent of the income.”
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2010/06/16110712

Seals under threat

The UK has common and grey seals; the common seal population is declining. We know that illegal shooting takes place (in areas other than Crovie). Aside from the danger of being shot, seals are suffering from pollution from the oil industry, marine activity and plastic waste in the water; depleted fish stocks further threaten seals, sea birds and other marine life.

Arguably we should be protecting the seal population, cleaning our water, and perhaps even taking less Atlantic salmon. An Irish-based research paper reports a drop of 75% in Atlantic Salmon populations:

“Atlantic salmon stocks in Ireland have declined by 75% in recent years (Anon 2008), and although conservation measures have been put in place, salmon stocks in many Irish rivers are below their conservation limits (Anon 2008).” – A pilot study on seal predation on salmon stocks in selected Irish rivers and estuaries.

The Gardenstown and Crovie communities do not operate solely on the basis of salmon fishing; tourism, leisure pursuits and arts play a part. These activities have demonstrably been hit by the arrival of seal shooters with rifles, witness the tourists who left after they saw the shooting last year.

Sea Shepherd will continue to monitor the activities of SWSC, as will concerned locals.

John Robins of Save Our Seals Fund said:

“Sea Shepherd and the Hunt Saboteurs Association have done a great job in bringing this issue back to public attention. I have no doubt they saved many seals from being shot at Gamrie Bay. We now need the general public to help save seals from being shot all around Scotland by signing our Petition calling on the Scottish Parliament to stop issuing licenses to shoot seals.”

Aberdeen Voice will likewise report on any further developments.

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The Legacy O John Muir

Creative Writing, Environment No Responses »

Apr 042014

By Bob Smith.

The 100th anniversary o the death
O a gweed mannie fae Dunbar
Fa left ess shores fer America
Stravaigin near an far
.
John Muir wis ess chiel’s name
An environmentalist o renown
A philosopher an explorer
Cwid be added ti his crown
.
In America he is weel kent
Yet in Scotia nae sae muckle
Ti fin oot aboot ess legend
Doon ti learnin we maan buckle
.
The faither o conservation in USA
A founder o the Sierra Club
Is jist twa o the monikers
On John Muir we cwid dub

Explore, discover an cherish
Wis ess mannie’s philosophy
We’re aa pairt o the naitural warld
Love wild places wis his decree
.
He fair likit the wilderness
Free fae touch o human han
Ower muckle interference fae man
The chiel jist cwidna stan
.
The John Muir Trust in Scotland
Cairries on Muir’s philosophy
An maks sure we learn mair
An git telt o his legacy
.
Cherish weel oor wild lans
Try oot the John Muir Way
Connect wi the mannie’s ideas
An lit nature hae its say

©Bob Smith “The Poetry Mannie” 2014
Image Credit: http://pixabay.com/en/woods-green-trees-path-park-175878/

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New Action For Threatened Woodlands And Species

Environment, Featured, Information No Responses »

Mar 202014

Pine Marten. © Laurie Campbell www.lauriecampbell.com

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

With concerns over the state of many Scottish woodlands, and fears for the long-term survival of iconic species including red squirrel, pine marten and capercaillie, the conservation charity Trees for Life is marking its 25th anniversary this year with a significant expansion of its forest restoration work across the Highlands, and with new projects focusing on the recovery of endangered species.
Trees for Life is now extending the geographical range of its forest restoration activity, from its previous project area of 1,000 square miles west of Inverness and Loch Ness, and is exploring opportunities to restore neglected and derelict Caledonian pinewoods in other parts of Scotland.

At the same time, the charity is developing a wider range of ecological initiatives to conserve forest species.

New projects will deliver practical field research, habitat assessments and species relocations to aid the conservation of key species such as pine marten, red squirrel and wood ants.

Trees for Life’s Executive Director Alan Watson Featherstone commented.

“Without urgent action, key parts of Scotland’s ancient Caledonian Forest could be lost forever, and forest-dependent wildlife such as the Scottish wildcat and capercaillie could become extinct in the UK,”

“As we celebrate 25 years of pioneering conservation action, including the planting of more than a million trees by our volunteers, and the creation of 10,000 acres of new Caledonian Forest, we aim to increase the impact and scale of our work. We want to ensure that our children and grandchildren also have the opportunity to enjoy Scotland’s wild landscapes and its rare and spectacular wildlife.”

Less than half, 46 percent, of Scotland’s native woodlands are in “satisfactory condition for biodiversity” and much must be done to reverse centuries of damage, according to Scotland’s first complete survey of these important habitats, published by Forestry Commission Scotland last month. The report found that natural regeneration of native pinewoods is scarce.

Following a long history of deforestation, the Caledonian Forest reached a critical point some 200 years ago, with too few remaining trees and too many deer eating seedlings – leaving ‘geriatric’ forests of old trees. Today, only a fraction of the former forest survives, with 35 isolated remnants of native pinewoods.

The need for concerted conservation action, and the lack of young trees to replace mature specimens when lost, is also being exacerbated by the threats posed by climate change and extreme weather, and the risk of disease affecting the Scots pine, which forms the forest ecosystem’s ‘backbone’ and on which many species depend.

“We want people to get involved through volunteering or financial support, to help restore Scotland’s threatened habitats and species. Wildlife tourism generates millions of pounds every year, so bringing new life to impoverished woodlands and barren glens can bring economic as well as environmental benefits,” said Alan Watson Featherstone.

The charity’s plans for 2014 include an ambitious project at Trees for Life’s flagship Dundreggan Conservation Estate, a biodiversity hotspot in Glenmoriston near Loch Ness. They paln to convert a 300-hectare commercial plantation of non-native trees planted by a previous owner back to native woodland. This will involve the felling of the alien conifers and a pioneering mire restoration scheme, funded by a grant from Scottish Natural Heritage. The whole project will take over 10 years to complete.

Dundreggan is also home to one of Scotland’s greatest concentrations of the nationally scarce dwarf birch, Betula nana.

An area will be fenced off for restoration of these ‘wee trees’, as part of a broader plan to create a woodland link between Glen Affric and Glenmoriston, and to expand this habitat for species including black grouse, ptarmigan and golden plover.

A programme of research on forest ecology will also be carried out at Dundreggan, and the estate will host a 25th anniversary open weekend on 24th – 25th May.

Meanwhile, a new tree planting project will begin in a Caledonian pinewood remnant at Culligran in Glen Strathfarrar in the autumn.

Trees for Life has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018, creating expanded habitats for wildlife including strawberry spider, wood ants, red squirrels, rare sawflies and ospreys. Over the past year, the charity has expanded its volunteer Conservation Weeks and Conservation Days, offering more opportunities for people to gain conservation experience.

Trees for Life’s story began in 1986 when Alan Watson Featherstone made a commitment to an environmental conference at Findhorn to launch a Caledonian Forest restoration project. Practical activity began in June 1989, with tree guards used to protect Scots pine seedlings in Glen Cannich from being eaten by deer. In 1991, volunteers began planting some of the first new trees to grow in the forest for 200 years.

Trees for Life has grown into an award-winning, leading conservation volunteering charity, with a dedicated staff team and thousands of supporters and volunteers. Wildlife film maker Gordon Buchanan planted the charity’s millionth tree at Dundreggan in 2012, and Trees for Life played a key role in the successful campaign for the Scottish Parliament to name the Scots pine as the country’s national tree.

People can support Trees for Life by becoming a member, carrying out conservation action, sponsoring trees for special occasions or sponsoring an acre of native forest. See www.treesforlife.org.uk.

Trees for Life’s awards include UK Conservation Project of the Year, Millennium Marque, Top 10 Conservation Holidays worldwide, Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Environment Award (2012) and RSPB Nature of Scotland – Outstanding Contribution to Nature Award (2013).

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Marine Engagement Boost For Hebrides – Sea Change

Articles, Environment No Responses »

Mar 142014

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Conservation charity Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) is celebrating today’s announcement that it has been awarded £120,000 through the UK Government’s Coastal Communities Fund – enabling it to launch an innovative project to strengthen people’s connections to the sea in 15 remote island communities across the Hebrides, including by creating sustainable eco-tourism employment opportunities.

HWDT’s ambitious Sea Change project will strengthen conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises – collectively known as cetaceans – and develop the region’s appeal as a major destination for wildlife tourism.

Key to this will be engaging coastal communities in learning, training and volunteering – so that they can develop stronger links with and understanding of their marine environment, and invest in its sustainable use for the long-term benefit of local people.

“This Coastal Communities Fund award is fantastic news for our work with communities in the Hebrides. We want our Sea Change project to help local people make the most of their natural marine assets – benefitting the conservation of our world-class marine environment and bringing real economic and social benefits to the whole region,” said Eva Varga, HWDT Operations Manager.

“The project will set up a legacy, with the communities themselves taking ownership of it, and so ensuring its sustainability for years to come. We hope that increased tourism numbers will also strengthen the tourist-dependent businesses in each community.”

She added:

“In the communities involved, the success of our Community Sightings Network – through which people can report sightings of cetaceans, helping us to map their distribution off Scotland’s west coast – and of our educational visits have shown a real enthusiasm for Scotland’s remarkable and inspiring marine biodiversity.”

The scheme will support local people by developing skills and creating work opportunities through an extended Community Sightings Network.

It is planned that the Sea Change project will be carried out on Mull, Coll and Tiree, Islay and Jura, Colonsay, Barra, Small Isles (Eigg, Muck, Rum, Canna), Mallaig and Arisaig, and in two locations on Skye.Each of these communities attracts tourism and has seen an increase in wildlife tourism in recent years.

The importance of white-tailed eagles to the local economy of Mull and Skye is well-documented. HWDT believes developing sustainable marine wildlife eco-tourism could have similar or greater success.

The Sea Change project will directly create two new jobs, and potentially safeguard and indirectly create many more employment opportunities in the region.

The Coastal Communities Fund was created to direct regeneration investment to seaside towns and villages

HWDT will recruit a new full-time Sightings and Strandings Officer, to train volunteers, organise school visits and support 15 community-based hubs on the islands, which will then run the project from their own community. The new employee will also liaise with boat operators, local people and tourists on reporting marine animal sightings and strandings.

HWDT plans to work collaboratively with community enterprises, trusts, wildlife groups, businesses, schools and individuals, so that the project is tailored to each of the 15 communities and to encourage as many volunteers as possible to get involved.

Engagement with local communities and education work are key parts of HWDT’s pioneering work to secure the future of western Scotland’s cetaceans and basking sharks, as well as the Hebrides’ globally important marine environment.

A new Visitor Centre Manager at HWDT will ensure that the charity’s headquarters in Tobermory becomes the project base and a community resource for learning, training and volunteering.

HWDT also carries out scientific surveys, and is currently recruiting volunteers to take part in its 2014 expeditions onboard its research yacht Silurian, working alongside marine scientists. For details call 01688 302620 or visit www.hwdt.org.

The Coastal Communities Fund was created to direct regeneration investment to seaside towns and villages to help rebalance their local economies, reduce unemployment and create new work opportunities for young people from the local area.

Announcing the Coastal Community Fund winners today, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rt Hon Danny Alexander said:

“The Coastal Communities Fund is supporting some of the most fragile communities. It is a great way to make sure that people living around our coastline can share in the benefits of the increased returns for the Crown Estate’s marine activities.”

Over 50 projects across the UK have been awarded a share of £27.7 million through the Coastal Communities Fund. Details of the project winners are at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/uk-wide/coastal-communities.

Action Needed To Ensure Scotland’s National Tree’s Future

Environment, Featured, News No Responses »

Feb 072014

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Trees for Life’s Alan Watson Featherstone with a giant Scots pine recently uprooted by severe storms at Dundreggan Conservation Estate

Concerted action is needed to ensure a secure future for the Scots pine, which last week was declared Scotland’s national tree, leading conservation volunteering charity Trees for Life said today.

The charity – which played a key role in the campaign that led the Scottish Parliament on 30 January to name the Scots pine as the country’s national tree – is warning that higher priority must be given urgently to the conservation of Scotland’s pinewoods.

Trees for Life’s Executive Director Alan Watson Featherstone said:

“Declaring the Scots pine – bastion of the Caledonian Forest and one of the world’s most beautiful trees – as a national symbol sends a signal to the world that Scotland values its trees as an important part of its culture and identity. But with alarm bells ringing for this remarkable tree’s future, we should strengthen conservation action now.

“Our national tree is under siege from climate change, extreme weather and disease. We owe it to future generations to ensure its long-term survival by being world leaders in reforestation.

“We call on the Government to use the upcoming revision to the Scottish Rural Development Programme – the principal funding stream for forest schemes in Scotland – to ensure that support for native pinewood restoration is maintained and enhanced.”

This winter’s severe storms have highlighted the vulnerability of even well-established Scots pines to extreme weather, something that is likely to increase with climate change – and also the lack of young trees to replace mature specimens when lost.

During the unusually powerful storm that struck north Scotland on 5-6 December 2013, several giant Scots pines at Trees for Life’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness were uprooted and blown over, and others badly-damaged. Some of these trees were probably more than 200 years old. Some ancient pines were also lost in the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve.

Such losses are part of a forest’s natural cycle, creating light gaps where new life can begin, and trees will eventually grow there again. Yet the full process will take decades or more, and it will be at least 200 years before trees comparable to those lost reach maturity. Loss of habitat provided by large mature pines can have a significant impact on biodiversity, as species that are dependent on old trees have nowhere else to live.

this disease has affected Lodgepole and Corsican Pine in Scotland

This also highlights the lack of young or even 100-year-old pines to replace mature trees and so ensure the survival of Scottish pinewoods. Overgrazing by sheep and deer for two centuries has prevented natural regeneration of native pinewoods throughout the Highlands.

In a healthy forest ecosystem, deer numbers would be in balance with regenerating trees – but imbalances in the Highlands landscape have created a 200-year generation gap for Scots pines. Until fencing and conservation-oriented deer culling began in the last two decades, there were no trees younger than 150 years in most locations.

Another potential threat is Dothistroma Needle Blight. Also known as Red Band Needle Blight, this disease has affected Lodgepole and Corsican Pine in Scotland. The Scots pine was believed to have low susceptibility to the disease.

However, the Forestry Commission has noted an increase in the distribution and severity of the disease on Scots pine, particularly in Scotland, although it isn’t yet known whether this will lead to tree mortality or extend significantly into the Caledonian pinewoods.

Fortunately, active restoration measures are underway for many of Scotland’s best pinewood remnants. Trees for Life itself has planted more than one million trees at dozens of sites in the Highlands, and has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018. Such positive actions need to be developed and enhanced.

Scots pine, formally known as Pinus sylvestris, is the largest and longest-lived tree in the Caledonian Forest, forming a ‘backbone’ in the forest ecosystem on which many other species depend.

The tree provides a home for wildlife including red squirrels, capercaillie and crossbills; ideal nesting sites for ospreys; shelter for deer and pine martens; and shade for twinflower, one-flowered wintergreen and blaeberries. Its richly textured bark is a wonderful habitat for lichens, mosses and insects.

The campaign for Scotland to have a national tree and for it to be the Scots pine was begun by campaigner and Trees for Life supporter Alex Hamilton, who – accompanied by Alan Watson Featherstone – took this call to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee in January 2013. A consultation on whether Scotland should have a national tree began last September.

Trees for Life urged the Scottish Government and Parliament to adopt the Scots pine as this symbol.

Today only a fraction of the former Caledonian Forest survives, with its native pinewoods reduced to 35 isolated remnants. Trees for Life is restoring the forest to a wilderness region of 1,000 square miles in the Highlands to the west of Loch Ness and Inverness. For details, see www.treesforlife.org.uk

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Surveys Show Need To Conserve Western Scotland’s Healthy Seas

Environment, Information No Responses »

Dec 192013

Volunteers onboard HWDT’s unique research vessel Silurian. Copyright: G.Leaper

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Research surveys conducted by the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) during 2013 have identified a remarkably wide range of whale, dolphin and porpoise species – highlighting the need to conserve the rich biodiversity and globally-important marine habitats in western Scotland’s seas.

The latest research is part of HWDT’s unique and long-term monitoring project of cetaceans – whales, dolphins and porpoises – in the Hebrides.
With growing concerns over the state of the UK’s seas, and threats to wildlife and ecosystems from human activity, HWDT is calling for volunteers to help continue the pioneering research in 2014.

In total during 2013, HWDT recorded more than 400 encounters with cetaceans and basking sharks, and made almost 1,000 underwater detections of cetaceans using specialist listening equipment.

Kerry Froud, HWDT Biodiversity Officer, said:

“The impressive range of species of cetaceans and basking sharks that we have documented this year highlights the wealth of marine life in Scotland’s west coast ocean environment – and the importance of ensuring the continued survival of these spectacular animals and maintaining the healthy seas that support them.”

With the help of 48 volunteers working alongside marine scientists, the charity carried out nine surveys on its research yacht Silurian during 2013.

The surveys covered more than 3,000 nautical miles and spanned nearly all of the Hebrides and beyond – from Ballycastle, Northern Ireland in the south, west to the Outer Hebrides, and to Cape Wrath in the north.

A major encounter – in August near the Isle of Skye – was a rare sighting of three members of a group of killer whales known as the ‘West Coast Community’. This very small group consisting of just five males and four females is thought to be the UK’s only known resident group, but, as no calves have been seen within the group, it is likely to go extinct in our lifetime.

Other highlights included:

417 encounters with cetaceans and basking sharks – consisting of 321 encounters of harbour porpoise; 34 of minke whale; 32 of basking shark; 22 of common dolphin; six of white-beaked dolphin; one of killer whale; and one of Risso’s dolphin.
Recorded acoustic detections of 821 harbour porpoise; 129 common dolphin; six white-beaked dolphin; and one Risso’s dolphin – the latter adding to sparse acoustic data currently available for this species.
Visual sightings of 316 harbour porpoises, with the species being detected acoustically 821 times. Scotland’s west coast is one of Europe’s most important habitats for harbour porpoises.
50 basking sharks recorded in nine days alone in June. Sightings of basking sharks have been increasing in recent years.

Although little was known about Hebridean cetaceans until relatively recently, HWDT’s work is strengthening knowledge about their distribution, movements, habitats and behaviour.

The charity’s findings now form the most comprehensive data available, supporting effective conservation – which includes providing researchers and policy-makers with crucial data on cetacean distribution patterns – and benefitting HWDT’s education work.

HWDT’s findings will contribute to the Scottish Government’s historic initiative to identify areas for possible Marine Protected Areas featuring cetaceans and basking sharks.

This year, a network of 33 marine reserves has been proposed. A decision on which will go forward for designation as Marine Protected Areas is expected in Spring 2014 – potentially providing protection to Scotland’s marine environment by preventing damaging activities within the reserves.

HWDT’s data will also contribute to the Joint Cetacean Protocol, a UK-wide initiative that is combining data from different sources to add to knowledge of cetacean distribution and trends.

Western Scotland’s seas are one of Europe’s most important habitats for cetaceans.

The long, complex coastline, strong ocean currents and wide variety of habitats help make the Hebrides one of the most biologically productive areas in the UK. So far 24 cetacean species have been recorded in the region, many of which are national and international conservation priority species.

Marine ecosystems are fragile, and cetaceans face increasing stress from human activities including climate change, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution, underwater noise and habitat degradation.

HWDT improves knowledge and understanding of Scotland’s whales, dolphins and porpoises and the Hebridean marine environment through education, research and working within local communities to ensure lasting conservation of species and habitats.

The charity is recruiting volunteers to take part in its 2014 surveys.

Volunteers will live and work onboard Silurian for almost two weeks, working alongside marine scientists, collecting data during visual surveys, and conducting acoustic monitoring including with hydrophones. They will receive full training and assist with the day-to-day running of the research vessel.

Places on the surveys – which depart from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull or Kyle of Lochalsh – are available from May to September. Participation costs range from £800 – £1,300, which covers boat expenses, supports HWDT’s research programme and includes accommodation, food and insurance onboard Silurian.

For details call 01688 302620 or visit www.hwdt.org.

Pictured: HWDT’s unique research vessel Silurian; basking shark alongside Silurian

Planting Scotland’s Wee Trees

Environment, Featured, Information No Responses »

Dec 132013

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

A group of hardy volunteers braved the cold and ventured to Coire Sneachdta, in Glen Affric National Nature Reserve, to take part in conservation charity Trees for Life’s ‘wee trees’ planting day on 27 November.
This project was made possible thanks to a grant through the CSV Action Earth scheme, which supports volunteers across Scotland in making a positive difference to their local environment.

As part of this year’s CSV Action Earth campaign, Scottish Natural Heritage has supported more than 170 projects – including Trees for Life – with grants aimed at groups helping and encouraging volunteering through practical environment projects.

Project Coordinator for Trees for Life, Mick Drury, said:

“We were pleased to welcome so many people along on the tree planting day, to help us plant 150 dwarf birch and 300 willow cuttings. It really was all about the volunteers, from those who grew and nurtured the seedlings in the nursery, to those who dug deep and planted the trees themselves.

“Thanks to CSV Action Earth and Scottish Natural Heritage, we’ve been able to buy the tools needed to carry out this vital project, which will shape the future of Scotland’s mountain woodland. We were delighted to team up once again with Forestry Commission Scotland, which manages the site, to deliver this project with a great result.”

To find out more about how to get involved with the work of Trees for Life, visit www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 0845 458 3505.

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Smithy’s Scribblins No. 12 – Aboot The Naitural Warld

Environment, Opinion 2 Responses »

Dec 062013

There’s a Cree Native American prophecy fit’s worth readin:-

“Only after the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten”

Voice’s Bob Smith scribbles doon ees thochts aboot the naitural warld an oor misuse o’t.

Foo lang afore ess prophecy becomes a reality?
Weel the wye we’re gobblin up the Earth’s resources, maybe seener than ye bliddy think.

The fowk fa war native tae America lang afore the supposed civilised warld visited their shores kent fine foo tae live alangside naitur.

They kent they war pairt o the naitural warld an aat the Earth wid gie them fit they needit tae keep them gyaan. Great buffalo herds fit supplied them wi meat, an hides tae bigg their tepees wi, shrubs fit kept them nourished wi berries.

Trees gied them aa the poles tae bigg their tepees aroon an bark tae mak their canoes oot o, an the rivers supplied them wi fresh drinkin watter as weel as fish tae aet. Bit they war savvy aneuch tae ken nae tae use ower muckle o the naitural resources o the Earth itherwise it wid seen rin oot.

Faist forrit a fyow hunner eer an fit did we see? Hardly ony buffalo cos the likes o Buffalo Bill Cody hunted them nearly oot o existence tae supply fresh meat, fer the army an fer the workers faa war biggin the railroads across America.

Rivers war pollutit bi industrial waste an shite fae the big toons biggit tae hoose a the buggers faa rushed tae America in the great hope o makkin their fortunes.

Syne on the scene cam a mannie fae Scotland, John Muir, sadly better kent in America than he is in his hameland.

John Muir emigrated fae Dunbar tae the USA in the 19^th ceentury, wunner’t aroon America an throwe his screivins wis kent as een o the early advocates o the preservation o the naitural warld an the wilderness in America. If ye wint tae ken ony mair aboot John Muir then ging on tae www.johnmuirtrust.org.uk

Bit lit us hae a leuk at fit his happen’t tae the naitural warld in war ain kwintra.

A lot o fowk seem tae think aat the naitural warld belangs tae them an they can dee fit they bliddy weel like wi it. They seem tae hae fergottin aat they are jist pairt o the great scheme o thingies in the naitural warld.

Noo fairmers hiv aye thocht o thersels as custodians o the kwintraside bit even some o them hiv bin suck’t in tae the belief aat the earth owes them a livin an hiv begun tae treat the grun in a nae verra gweed wye.

Tae git mair oot o the lan they hiv in placies ruggit doon dykes an hedges, fit are the equivalent o “motorwyes” tae the wee beasties an birdies faa wint tae gyaang fae ae placie tull anither in relative safety. Ess maks bigger parks tae accommodate the muckle modern machinery needed nooadays tae help satisfy the insatiable appetites o supermairket shoppers.

The auld wye o fairmin his gin oot the winda. Foo muckle fairmers div ye see usin the rotation method o fairmin? Crap rotation involves chyngin the type o crap ye grow in a park on a regular basis. Ess benefits the grun itsel bi stoppin nutrient depleeshun an there is less risk o pests an diseases attackin the craps.

Nooadays cos the grun can git a bittie soor kine they hiv ti pit on mair fertilisers fit o coorse can leech intae the ditches, burns an syne intae rivers causin the thingies fit bide in the rivers an alang their bunks a bittie o a problem.

We canna o coorse pit aa the blame on the fairmers as they hiv tae mak a livin an as a hintit afore, their hans are tied bi supermairket customer needs. So if wi wint tae help the naitural warld wi micht hae tae chynge oor shoppin habits.

Fer a stairt we cwid stop expectin tae aye bi able tae buy things oot o season an if we bocht mair fae fairm shops an fairmers mairkets we micht git back tae a mair sustainable wye o managin the lan.

Noo hiv ye ivver thocht foo muckle gweed agricultural lan is gobbled up bi hoosin an industrial developmints in ess kwintra o Scotland?

It’s a fair amunt. As lang as the warld’s population keeps gyaan up then the situation winna chynge as fowk need hooses tae bide in. Bit o coorse wi cwid help thingies a bit bi biggin hames on broonfield sites instead o aye biggin industrial units on them or wi cwid jist nae hae sae mony geets.

The naitural warld in Scotland is a great attraction fer tourists an as tourism, we are aye telt. If it is o great economic benefit tae the kwintra, fit the hell wye div wi keep biggin windfairms in placies o scenic beauty?

There are as weel great scars on the hillsides tae accommodate sheeters fa are ower bliddy lazy ti wakk tae faar they blast the hand reared grouse an pheasants oot the skies aa in the name o sport.

They shudna hae ti waak faar as the bliddy birds are sae tame they cum the wye o fowk sheetin thinkin it’s feedin time.

Noo a’m aboot tae invade the realm o a touchy subject in the north–east corner.

The subject o fishin an whither or no stocks o fish are bein depleted cos o ower muckle fishin. A’m nae scientist nor a fishin boat skipper, bit fae the ootside lookin in it seems tae me we humans hiv tae tak some responsibility if stocks o fish are gyaan doon.

Efter aa technology maks it easier noodays fer skippers ti pinpoint shoals o fish faar mair easily than they did eers ago so it staans ti reason aat stocks micht be in greater danger o bein fish’t oot cos o ess.

Noo a dinna wint ti bi flippant aboot the dangerous job on affa treacherous seas the chiels on trawlers hiv ti dee, bit it dis seem nooadays that technology his made the job o findin the fish a helluva lot easier. An the easier the fish are catcht the mair chunce there is o the seas bein scarce o fish.

A myn o readin a beuk bi a mannie fae the East Neuk o Fife fa’s fisherman granfadder said awa back in the 1950’s aat if the wyes o fishin advanced ony farrer it cwid bi the death o the industry. So if ess fishermannie is richt the naitural world micht eventually becum devoid o anither een o its resources.

A hiv cum tae the conclushun aat unless we chynge oor wyes as regards foo we treat the naitural warld an its resources oor affspring’s affspring wull be inhabitin a warld far removed fae aat o oor forefaithers an they micht jist curse us fer bein sae greedy an neglectfu’.

A’ll leave the last wird tae a Native American tribal leader, Chief Seattle, fa said awa back in 1854:-

“Humankind has not woven the web of life
We are but one thread within it
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves
All things are bound together
All things connect”

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TV Vote Success For Caledonian Forest Training Project

Environment, News 1 Response »

Dec 062013

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

On 29th November, the conservation charity Trees for Life celebrated the announcement that it has won £50,000 of Lottery funding for a pioneering project to help restore Scotland’s ancient Caledonian Forest and protect its rare wildlife from extinction.

The conservation charity’s plan to create a new volunteer training programme at its Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness, which will benefit hundreds of disadvantaged people from the Inverness region, was successful in the recent finals of the People’s Millions public vote.

Speaking after the announcement last Friday Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director, said:

“This is fantastic news for our work to save the Caledonian Forest and its unique wildlife and for the hundreds of people every year who will be able to join our training programme – transforming their own lives as they help to restore the forest.

“I would like to thank every single person who voted for us in the People’s Millions yesterday.”

The Trees for Life training project is about people and places. In particular, it will benefit people from diverse backgrounds and those with limited access to healthy outdoor activities and training opportunities.

Disadvantaged people – including those on low incomes or who are unemployed from the rural region around Inverness and from deprived urban areas in Inverness – will be able to learn about threatened habitats and species and gain health benefits from volunteering in green places.

Activities will include planting trees and wild flowers, collecting seeds for propagating rare species, and growing trees and plants in a tree nursery. The project will be accessible for older people and those with limited mobility, or affected by mental health issues, and accredited training for leading volunteer groups will also be on offer.

The People’s Millions, in which the public decide which local community projects will receive Lottery funding, is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and ITV and voting took place all day on 29th November with the results being broadcast by STV North in the evening.

Dundreggan, which is in Glen Moriston, Inverness-shire, has been described as a Highlands ‘lost world’ and, so far, almost 70 priority species for conservation, including several species never recorded in the UK before, have been discovered there.

The award-winning Trees for Life charity has planted more than one million trees at dozens of sites in the Highlands and has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018.

For further details, please visit www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 0845 458 3505.

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Televised Vote For Pioneering Conservation Project

Environment, News No Responses »

Nov 252013

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Trees for Life is urging people to help it win £50,000 of Lottery funding in a televised public vote on Thursday 28 November, to help restore Scotland’s ancient Caledonian Forest and protect its rare wildlife from extinction, while benefitting hundreds of disadvantaged people.

The conservation charity is a finalist in the People’s Millions – a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and ITV, in which the public decide which local community projects will receive Lottery funding – for its plan to establish a pioneering volunteer training programme at its Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness.

“We are asking people to vote for us on 28 November. Our People’s Millions project is about people and places. It’s about saving the UK’s equivalent of a rainforest and all its species from being lost forever, for our children and grandchildren to enjoy – and it’s about helping to improve the lives of hundreds of people every year,” said Trees for Life’s Executive Director Alan Watson Featherstone.

Success in the vote will allow Trees for Life to offer training in forest restoration to people from diverse backgrounds and those with limited access to healthy outdoor activities and training opportunities.

Disadvantaged people – including those on low incomes or who are unemployed – will be able learn about threatened habitats and species, and to gain health benefits from volunteering in green places.

Activities will include planting trees and wild flowers, collecting seeds for propagating rare species, and growing trees and plants in a tree nursery. The project will be accessible for older people and those with limited mobility or affected by mental health issues. Accredited training for leading volunteer groups will also be on offer.

The People’s Millions vote will be by phone all day on 28 November, from 9am to midnight, with a STV North programme broadcast that evening. The telephone number to call will be announced on the day, including on www.treesforlife.org.uk. Up to 10 calls can be made from each phone, at a cost of 11p from a landline.

Dundreggan in Glen Moriston, Inverness-shire, has been described as a Highlands “lost world”. So far almost 70 priority species for conservation, including several species never recorded in the UK before, have been discovered there.

Trees for Life has planted more than one million trees at dozens of sites in the Highlands. It has pledged to establish one million more trees by planting and natural regeneration by 2018.

The People’s Millions is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and ITV. For more details, visit www.treesforlife.org.uk/peoplesmillions or call 0845 458 3505.

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