Arrochar’s eyesore is everyone’s problem
The following video shows a walkover of the marine litter that has washed up on the shores of Arrochar in the first two weeks of 2014. The words ‘crying shame’ spring to mind, because this is such a graphic, in-your-face example of the damaged state of our seas.
Arrochar is nestled at the head of Loch Long, a slender sea loch that stretches 20 miles north from the Firth of Clyde towards the majestic slopes of the Lomond hills. Once the site of a thriving West coast fishery, the village is more dependent on tourism than the bounty from diminished fish stocks. But Arrochar’s few hundred metres of usually postcard-worthy shoreline have been transformed by a tide of seaweed tangled up with masses of rubbish. The ratio looks like about 2 parts seaweed to one part plastic. Continue reading »
Save Scottish Seas
2014 could prove to be a turning point in the history of Scotland’s seas. The Scottish Government has just concluded a consultation on plans for a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Scotland’s seas are world-class; home to amazingly diverse sealife, but they are in decline. Out-of-sight and out-of-mind for years, our marine environment has suffered from a history of unsustainable use. Now MPAs can help our seas to recover.
For the sake of our environment and economy, Scotland needs these MPAs to be implemented in the right way. They cannot be meaningless paper parks; Scotland’s Marine Atlas shows all too clearly why the status quo is not an option. Our campaign is urging the Scottish Government to put in place a network that will actively recover the habitats and species that make our seas so special. It is a historic opportunity to turn around the declining health of our seas and to protect them for future generations.
Protect
Scotland’s seas are home to some truly incredible species and habitats. We want to keep it that way. Find out why our seas need greater protection and how that can be achieved.
Connect
The life in our seas is fundamentally interconnected by water and the ecosystem processes. Marine protection is meaningless if planning does not account for the fundamental linkages between species and habitats in our seas.
Recover
Decades of unsustainable activity has resulted in serious damage to areas of Scotland’s seas. These areas are now in desperate need of recovery. Find out the true state of Scotland’s seas and why we need to restore them to a condition we can all be proud of.
