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Government plans would be “catastrophic for Orkney and Scotland as a whole”

Richard Lochhead has been sent a letter by the council setting out its opposition to a planned consultation on the draft SPAs
Richard Lochhead has been sent a letter by the council setting out its opposition to a planned consultation on the draft SPAs

Orkney Islands Council has joined Western Isles Council in calling on the Scottish Government to put proposals for new conservation designations over huge areas of local waters on immediate hold.

The council argues that the imposition of the marine Special Protection Areas (SPAs) would be catastrophic for both Orkney and Scotland as a whole.

Two draft SPAs are proposed for the waters around Orkney, one covering Scapa Flow and the Pentland Firth, the other encompassing a large area to the north of the Orkney Mainland.

SPAs are designated under European legislation as areas for the protection of rare, vulnerable and migratory birds. While respecting the need for responsible management of Orkney’s environment, the council is concerned that the proposals are unnecessary and prioritise conservation objectives ahead of new, or in some cases existing, human activity.

In a letter to Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, the council sets out its opposition to a planned consultation on the draft SPAs – and to their selection as areas that could be designated in this way.

OIC has also expressed its concerns to cabinet colleagues, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Minister for Transport and Islands Derek Mackay, and Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism Fergus Ewing.

OIC convener Steven Heddle said: “We see this as the biggest threat currently facing the Council and our local community. This is why we have raised this objection in the strongest possible terms, supported by legal, socio-economic and environmental advice we have commissioned.

“The proposed conservation designations cover a massive area and, if imposed upon us, could effectively sterilise Scapa Flow – our prime harbour area – from future development. This is also the case for the Pentland Firth and Westray Firth, areas widely recognised as Scotland’s great resources for tidal energy.

“Putting the two draft SPAs out to consultation sets in train a process that could result in their designation. Worryingly, in accordance with Scottish Government policy, their restrictions come into immediate effect as soon as the consultation commences and before there has been a chance for full and proper scrutiny of the scientific case.

“These unnecessarily draconian designations could thwart the aspirations of the Council and Government to see sustainable development, such as marine renewable energy production, flourish in our local waters. That would be catastrophic for Orkney and Scotland as a whole.”