SSMEI Sound of Mull Working Group Meeting

SSMEI Sound of Mull Working Group Meeting

14th November 2007

Appendix – Activity Results

Activity 1 – The Importance & Future of the Sound of Mull

The two groups were asked to answer the following questions, with the responses noted by the facilitator. The responses provided are listed as follows:

1.  Why is the Sound of Mull important?

Other

·  Defines an island

·  Beauty and scenic value

·  Used by everyone

·  Keeps the island safe

·  Lifeline for people of Mull

Fishing/aquaculture

·  Winter fishery

·  Sheltered area for fishing and fleet – one of the few local areas that is sheltered

·  Scallop diving

·  Oyster, mussel lease areas and possible scallop lease at Drimnin

·  Huge potential for all types of shellfish farming (but unsure if there is lack of plankton limiting growth of mussel lines)

·  Provides a high energy environment for finfish aquaculture – being actively encouraged towards such areas for development

·  Provider of a way of life – fishing/farming

Transport

·  Sheltered route.

·  Important transport area - motorway for isles. Sea route from outer to inner west coast and Caledonian Canal link.

·  Communication between north and south for shipping

·  Forestry wood transport

Wildlife

·  North and south ends for harbour porpoise / porpoise route

·  Important otter area - use entire coastline. European importance.

·  Sea ducks

·  Tern colonies on Green Isles

·  Sea eagle hunting and nesting area

·  Skate

·  Maerl – remnants found on Sea Search survey

Recreation

·  Wrecks – diving, important for local economy

·  Popular sailing area

·  Coastal biking, walking

·  Golf on Mull – potential on Morvern

Historic/culture

·  Important historical sea route – lead to tourism and diving

·  Castles

·  Shipwrecks

·  Archaeology (small harbours, fish traps, remains of coastal quarrying activity)

Aggregate industry

·  Aggregate extraction on both sides – Lochaline Sand mine for silica sand and Pennygowan Quarry

2.  How do you want to see the Sound of Mull in the future?

Other

·  Alive – marine biodiversity, being used daily by various livelihoods and recreation – marine population

·  Virtually the same as now

·  Preserved

·  Safeguard rights to use the Sound

·  General awareness of the importance of the Sound of Mull

Access & coastal infrastructure

·  Accessible to all

·  Better access other than Tobermory e.g. coastal infrastructure such as pontoons and piers

Transport

·  Increased ferry provision

·  Ferry link to Tobermory

Economy& sectors

·  Diverse economic mix

·  Balanced sectoral use without one sector taking over to detriment of others

·  Increased development on Morvern – this could be a good or bad thing

·  Increased economic benefits – employment in sectors

·  Economy of both sides of the Sound of Mull acknowledged and developed

·  Positivity towards aquaculture – recognise benefits and links to tourism and between shellfish and finfish farms

·  Fishing that is sustainable – continues to operate in the area

·  Expansion of wildlife tourism

·  Benefiting local communities

·  Increase in recreational tourists

·  Appropriate tourist use

·  Encourage new business

Environment

·  Appropriate balance between economy and the environment and recognising links between the two.

·  Sustainable

·  Pollution from oil spills could be catastrophic – more pressure from a local to influence protocols at a national level

·  Plan for pollution incident e.g. Lysfoss – find out what is in place

·  Potential for oil pollution from wrecks as they deteriorate

·  Even better, even richer marine life – 20-30years ago it supported more fishing

·  Salmon netting used to go on, now there are no stations

·  Clean up rubbish

Heritage

·  Some coastal buildings and monuments and sites underwater are deteriorating e.g. fish traps, small piers, boat houses.

·  Better-defined, recorded, understood, respected and enjoyed

3.  How can we deliver this?

·  Community, politician etc working together for the future of the area

·  High level vision, then putting the building blocks into place

·  Keep a happy balance

·  Very little conflict in the SoM at the moment

·  Any conflict is dealt with locally between those concerned and new developments consulted on locally

·  Balance and the growth of sectors is contained by current legislation, regulation and communities, e.g. when developing a finfish farm site – need buy in from local communities and other businesses.

·  Cash for coastal infrastructure – pier facilities to allow fishing vessel landings

·  Identify really special areas that may need protection

·  Improved knowledge and understanding of underwater and coastal habitats

·  Better understanding of the socio-economics of the area

·  Knowledge gathering and sound knowledge based so decision making is better informed

·  Efficient and profitable sectors

·  Close contact with other projects – try and get national steering group to meet the Sound of Mull group

·  Try and make the Sound of Mull the better project.

Activity 2 – Interactions & Opportunities

Interactions and opportunities from the one to one meetings were summarised on an A4 sheet, numbered and given to each individual. Individuals will be asked to review these. Each group were asked if there were any they wished to add to this. To determine which interactions/opportunities the group would discuss further each individual was given 3 sticky dots and were asked to place these next to the numbers listed on the flip chart paper that corresponded to the interactions/opportunities that they wished to discuss further. Only one dot was allowed per interaction/opportunity, i.e. they could not place all 3 of their dots on one item. The dots were added up and the items worked through in order of those the group were interested in. The following points were discussed for each topic:

1. Can you provide more details on this interaction/opportunity
2. How can we take this forward?
3. Who would need to be involved in further discussions?

The following lists the topics discussed (note not all topics were discussed due to time constraints).

1.  Pontoon developments at Salen, Lochaline, Drimnin identified for the future

·  Pontoon developments need to be community driven e.g. Lochaline and commercially/economically viable

·  Need community buy-in for coastal infrastructure development

·  Salen – Scottish Sea Farms staff were accessing Fuinary site using boat from Salen but no longer happening because staff based over on that side now. However, may still be interested in a development with community. However, it can be an exposed area and there is limited space.

·  Plenty of funding to support – may not be the best option for SSMEI to pursue such things

·  Drimnin moving forward – Julia Whitaker would be able to give more information

2.  Sea eagles possibly experiencing disturbance from wildlife tourism,kayaking and dive boats

3.  An important sheltered area for bad weather fishing and winter velvet fishery should be safeguarded

4.  Wrecks need protection from mobile fishing gear damage & divers

5.  Provision of visitor moorings e.g. Salen, Craignure and maintenance

·  Lack of visitor moorings in Salen – need community buy-in to develop this further

6.  Feasibility of a private ferry service Oban-Morvern-Tobermory

7.  Local and regional importance of skate population and angling

8.  Aquaculture looking to expand existing sites and potentially look for new ones in the future.

·  Would like to see positive Council involvement from Planning

·  Better communication between planning and developers

·  Can do attitude rather than negative attitude from planning

·  Fish farms can provide good employment

·  Potential for development- jobs, suitable environmental conditions e.g. for salmon farms

·  Current Scottish Sea Farm sites in Sound have potential to increase

·  Interaction with SAMS – potential to provide scientific support for development of locations

·  Some concern over selecting preferred areas for development in the plan and defining lines/boxes as to where they should be. There may be benefits for not doing it this way and this could be trialled out through the project. Possibly look at an alternative to lines/preferred areas currently envisaged by planners.

·  Feel that developers already know who to contact to discuss developments – good local communication between users/interest groups

·  Need community back up to approve application and ideas

·  Companies may be looking towards having fewer, bigger sites rather than a larger number of smaller sites. Suggestin made that the Sound may not be able to - accommodate this kind of trend.

·  Companies keen to use existing sites

·  SEPA have changed modelling which may allow increased tonnage

·  Aquaculture within the planning process & planning policy

·  Quality of fish produced – seems to help perception of sites

·  Promote small individual shellfish farmers – encourage, fantastic product

·  Existing operators and planning department need to be consulted

9.  Development of the submarine area of West Pier Lochaline for diver training

10.  Moorings for diver access to wreck sites

11.  Use of the Sound of Mull by shipping and potential for grounding

12.  Development of yachting

13.  Development of kayaking

14.  Safeguarding areas for anchorage

15.  Joint promotion of the businesses in the Sound – diving, recreation, historic interests, wildlife watching and food production

·  Raising awareness of aquaculture and fishing e.g. through tourism

·  Local branding – Sound of Mull. But Mull already developing a brand image.

·  Overlap of businesses

·  Natural advantages – clean water, good environment – but these claims need to be true

·  Links between sectors – space and opportunity

·  Knit both sides of the Sound together – Mull & Morvern

·  Current situation – small businesses working individually.

·  Look at Irish Tourist board – diving

·  Bring together Argyll Charter Boat Association & Wild Isles Week on Mull

·  Co-operation as well as promotion

·  No ownership of the area – everyone needs to manage their use

·  Slow food/food festival

·  Awareness raising promotion

·  Visit Scotland/Local Enterprise company involvement

16.  Large numbers of porpoises using either end of the project area and as a corridor

17.  Pier development – Aros pier and park and potential for water taxi; Rubha na Leithreach near Fishnish pier development by forestry

18.  Mink control in the Sound

Activity 3 – Local management agreements

Both groups were asked the following questions and their answers listed.

1.  What current formal and informal management agreements exist within the Sound of Mull project area? e.g. Area Management Agreement (wild fish and fishfarms), radio contact

2.  Who should we contact for gathering more information?

Answers:

Environment

·  Area Management Agreement between finfish farms and wildfish interests. Separate areas for fallowing and lice treatment arrangements

·  Wildlife protection officer

·  Skate tagging programme

·  Sightings information for cetaceans and birds – cooperation between, RSPB, HWDT, CalMac, fishermen, charter boats

·  Tern ringing by Clive Craik, SAMS

Heritage

·  Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 – designated wreck sites at Duart Point, Mull and HMS Dartmouth (Eilean Rubha an Ridire). Lochaline Dive Centre holds a Visitor licence for both sites. Anybody can apply for licence. Dive centre staff will go on any charter/private boat that wishes to dive it.

·  Sound of Mull Archaeological Project

Shipping & navigation

·  Sound of Mull Transport Group between Mull & Morvern

·  Glensanda vessels – call over radio when entering Sound. Change ballast at sea rather than in coastal waters such as Sound to reduce transmission of alien species

·  CalMac

·  Northern Lighthouse Board – buoyage

·  MCA – various levels and enforcement

·  WHAM/RYA – consulted on section 34 and aquaculture

Fishing

·  Amnesic Shellfish Poising – fishing closures

·  MAFA collaboration between aquaculture and fishing

·  Code of Conduct between MNWFA and MAFA – between mobile gear and creelers (NT to provide more information). Also to check with Alasdair McLean as to any others.

·  Glensanda vessels have creel agreement in Firth of Lorn – if gear lost then compensated. Could look to do similar thing in Sound of Mull if needed.

Aquaculture

·  Finfish/shellfish – distance between sites is discussed at the pre-application stage with neighbouring farms. Scottish Sea Farms have agreements between individual sites.

·  Planning consultation system for aquaculture

·  Local consultation between finfish, shellfish farms and other sectors including community when thinking about new lease or expansion

Coastal infrastructure

·  Mooring associations – Tobermory Harbour Association, Lochaline, Salen

·  Tobermory Harbour Association – setup of company makes it responsive and responsible

·  ISPS code – IH

·  Crown Estate – Tobermory

·  Old Pier Association Lochaline

·  Planning consultation system

Recreation and tourism

·  Customs and exercise control and passports – done by MB at THA

·  Wild Scotland Code of conduct for charter boats

·  Land based wildlife trips – otter sightings, wildlife logs

·  Charters to Duart from Oban

Activity 4 – Opinions of SSMEI Sound of Mull to date

Every individual in both groups was asked to fill out a questionnaire. The aim of this was to collect views on the process to date (since the Project Officers came into post) and the felt the meeting had gone so that the officers can look to improve things and have a way to monitor the process throughout the 3 year project. The averaged results are as follows

Views on Project

1.  What sector/interest are you associated with? (note: % sum to greater that 100% due to some individuals being in more than one category).

Sector / %
Aquaculture / 10
Fishing / 10
Recreation & Tourism / 15
Environment / 25
Community / 10
Transport / 10
Heritage / 5
Farming / 5
Local Government / 5
Science/Charity / 5

2.  What is your initial feeling towards marine spatial planning?

Additional comments:

·  We need to move ahead on rationalising use of marine space

·  Useful to encourage appreciation of others needs