THE SCOTTISH Government is to support plans to block industrial scale kelp harvesting.
Over the summer, Ayr-based Marine Biopolymers Ltd said they wanted to dredge kelp forests on the west coast, with the ambition of eventually harvesting around 30,000 tonnes.
They’d hoped to extract natural polymers from the mechanically-harvested seaweed to use in foods and pharmaceuticals and claimed the industry would be worth £300m a year.
But there was furious opposition to the plan from local fisherman and environmentalists who feared the damage the dredging could do to kelp beds, and to fish and shellfish.
A petition launched by Ailsa McLellan, an Ullapool based Oyster farmer who harvests kelp by hand, received over 14,000 signatures.
David Attenborough also criticised the proposals, saying it was “imperative” to protect the forests.
Green MSP Mark Ruskell tabled amendments to the Crown Estate Scotland Bill, which would mean kelp harvesting could only be done by hand.
On Tuesday afternoon the Scottish Government announced they would back those amendments, effectively guaranteeing their success.
Roseanna Cunningham, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform told MSPs the Government recognised “that kelp is an important part of our marine biodiversity, and having considered amendments to the Scottish Crown Estate Bill, we intend to support Mark Ruskell’s amendment”.
Ruskell welcomed the announcement: “Kelp forests are hugely important to our marine environment.
"They dampen waves, protecting coastal communities from flooding and erosion, act as a habitat for hundreds of species, and store more carbon dioxide than the rainforest.”
The SNP’s Ian Blackford said he was “glad sense has prevailed”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel