Press Releases
08-02-2010 : MARINE BILL WILL HELP ORKNEY SAYS McARTHUR
The Marine Bill passed last week by the Scottish Parliament will be beneficial to Orkney. This is the view of Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, who, as the Liberal Democrat member of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee, was closely involved in the Bill's passage through parliament.
Liam McArthur said, "Last week saw the successful conclusion of the long parliamentary consideration of this Bill. Right up to the end, work continued to amend the Bill to improve it. And fortunately a last gasp attempt by a Labour MSP to use the Bill to take planning control over aquaculture away from Councils was headed off, despite the combined vote of Labour and Conservative MSPs to impose unnecessary and damaging centralisation on aquaculture planning. Their pursuit of administrative neatness, which would have undermined efficiency, local accountability and financial certainty in business planning, was rightly defeated.
"During the detailed consideration of the Bill, MSPs and Ministers worked together to make sure that the final Bill would create better and simpler management of the marine environment. The aim was to get the right balance between the interests of those involved in fishing, renewable energy, harbour operations, aquaculture, underwater archaeology, leisure pursuits and tourism and also to protect the marine environment. The general welcome it has received shows that the Bill as passed should succeed in delivering a sustainable future for the many who work or play on or in the sea.
"While this is of course a Bill which will bring benefits to the whole of Scotland, it is particularly relevant to Orkney. The sea is central to island life. It provides transport links; workplaces for our fishermen, fish farmers and increasingly renewable energy companies; and a vital resource for our tourist industry, whether people come to dive in it or to enjoy its wildlife and scenery. And of course it is the backdrop to every Orcadian's daily life. No doubt the changes the Bill will bring will take time to bed down, but I believe that the better management of the marine environment which it will introduce, with a local partnership approach, will be very beneficial to Orkney."