大象传媒

Last year, the Scottish Executive conceived the idea of establishing a Coastal Marine Park along the Scottish West Coast, from the Solway Firth north to the Outer Hebrides, including the coastlines of Argyll, Lochaber, Wester Ross and the Western Isles.

Scottish Natural Heritage, as the consultative agency for the Executive, has been asked by the Environment Minister to provide advice on the aims, structures and running costs of said park. Without engaging in a formal consultation process, SNH submitted the advice in March. Scottish Ministers then embarked on their own round of consultation.

A marine park would have the following aims:
- conserve and enhance natural and cultural heritage
- encourage sustainable use of resources
- promote tourism
- promote sustainable economic development

The groundswell of opinion appears to be strongly AGAINST the marine park, as it is perceived that it could strangulate the fishing industry, impose tourism on an industrial scale on the area and drive people away.

A second reason for opposition is that another layer of bureaucracy would be imposed, another quango [quasi non-governmental organisation], accountable to no one, introducing more and more regulation.

I have heard very little about it, and only this weekend managed to lay my hands on a decent article on this matter. It doesn't sound like good news to the Isles - putting it bluntly, the Western Isles could soon be reduced to a themepark. Anybody got an opinion?