NATURE tourism could be irreversibly damaged unless Holyrood Brexit-proofs environment laws, it is claimed.
Wildlife tourism is worth more than £127 million to the economy every year as visitors seek out native species and unspoiled spots around the country. In Mull alone, those flocking to see white tailed eagles generate £5m annually, according to RSPB research, whilst the reintroduction of red kites to Dumfries and Galloway is understood to have contributed more than £8m to that region since 2004.
Meanwhile, dolphins, porpoise, seals and whales are the stars of popular sightseeing trips around the country’s coast and inshore attractions like the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve in South Lanarkshire and RSPB Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve in Renfrewshire attract five-figure crowds each year.
VisitScotland believes the sector has been boosted by the ongoing popularity of social media platforms like Instagram, where posting the right selfie in an idyllic landscape can pick up major traffic and help users build a global audience of followers.
But those at the heart of the sector fear this could be jeopardised if Brexit strips away legal protections for the natural environment – and no replacement cover is put in place. The European Commission currently has oversight of environmental protections and investigates potential law breaches, taking action where these occur and potentially referring cases to the Court of Justice for penalties and sanctions. But withdrawing from the bloc will take the UK out of this system and create what campaigners call an “environmental governance gap”. The answer, they say, is to bring in a Scottish Environment Act to ensure the necessary safeguards.
Paul Walton of RSPB Scotland, said: “For many of us the very idea of Scotland is so intimately linked to nature and landscape as to make them inseparable. This allows our country to trade heavily on its natural treasures, and makes nature-based initiatives and wildlife tourism pivotal and growing parts of the economy. Conserving those treasures in the face of intensifying global environmental pressures will therefore be critical for future wellbeing... and national identity. As a small country with immense talent and imagination, we can take an international lead in biodiversity conservation – but only if we invest... and develop bold approaches.”
Walkers’ charity Ramblers Scotland is also backing the call, saying that our “fantastic landscapes and scenery are the main reason why visitors come here”.
Meanwhile, Susan Davies of the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick, which welcomes more than a quarter of a million visitors per year, said: “It’s vitally important that our seas and coasts are protected. Scotland’s wildlife-based tourism industry is dependent on having robust environmental legislation in place to ensure it can continue to be explored and enjoyed now and in the future.”
David and Jean Ainsley, whose Sealife Adventures business operates in the Firth of Lorn Special Area of Conservation (SAC) near Oban, say they have seen the benefits of European protections. They said: “This area is an SAC for porpoise and reefs, and a protected area for flapper skate which has been protected from scallop dredging for 12 years. There has been a huge improvement in wildlife and biodiversity, reef fauna and fish numbers and a 286% increase in porpoise. Wildlife and tourism are thriving because of these protections, which stem from Europe.”
More than 22,000 people backed a call by umbrella body Scottish Environment Link to the First Minister earlier this year. It urged the Scottish Government to bring a Scottish Environment Act and “ensure Brexit doesn’t roll back crucial environmental protections”.
Its chair Charles Dundas said: “A dedicated Environment Act is the only way we can fill the significant gaps in environmental protection that will result from leaving the EU.”
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