Wester Ross Marine Protection Area Discovery Day Fri 14th October

[johnesmithson]

For anyone who might be in the Ullapool area on Friday, here are details of an event organised by the Wester Ross Fisheries Trust: (reproduced with permission of the Trust):

"We're excited to let you know about a wonderful Discovery Day about the Wester Ross Marine Protected Area in Ullapool next Friday, October 14th. The day hopes to celebrate and inform about this important marine habitat, and will encompass something for everyone, from cutting edge research findings to music and art.

Please read on for more information about the events, why this area is so important, and let us know if you would like to come along:

Do you know what maerl is and why it is protected? Are you aware of the diversity of wild fish species and sea bed habitats that is found within the Wester Ross MPA? How much do you know about the wild salmon and sea trout of the area? Would you like to support one of the coastal community groups and help with their work finding out more about their coastal seas (it can be fun!)?

There are three events on 14th October:

(1)          Day time event at the Macphail Centre, 10am arrival; at 10:30 we'll get started. Presentations, some new underwater videos, hands-on demonstrations . . .

(2)          An Talla Solais, from 4.30pm; local artist Julia Barton will be present and happy to discuss and share her current work on maerl.

(2)          Evening event at the Ullapool Harbour Ferry Terminal 7.30pm. Songs and stories about the sea.


For marine wildlife (including seafood), the Wester Ross MPA is one of the best areas in Northwest Europe, from the bottom . . . (Nephrops - burrowed mud . . .) up . . .(sea birds, dolphins . . !).

By co-incidence, the WR MPA has some of the most important coastal waters for wild salmon and sea trout in the west of Scotland. Six larger rivers flow into the MPA, including the Little Gruinard (Special Area for Conservation) and the River Ewe - Loch Maree system which formerly supported the most productive sea trout fishery in NW Scotland. Loch Maree is still a Special Protected Area [SPA] for breeding Black-throated diver. The productivity of many rivers and lochs in Wester Ross is linked with the health of our coastal seas.


The MPA is also an important area for commercial fishing and wildlife tourism. Local 'hands-on' salmon farms provide much employment and have reduced their impact upon the environment in recent years. However, many people are concerned about plans for further expansion of the sort of large-scale open cage salmon farming that can damage protected seabed habitats and threaten wild fish populations. Wild salmon, sea trout, herring spawning grounds, skate, and other fish that were much more abundant in the past, currently have no more protection within the Wester Ross MPA than they have elsewhere.


The day is intended to provide something for people of all ages. We hope to hear from some of those who can remember when there were many more wild fish than in recent years. We hope to inspire younger ones to learn more about the area and surveys they might enjoy; what are their ambitions?


We are working together with other enthusiastic people who are keen to protect their MPA and to support the continued revival of ecosystems that sustain local wildlife and many jobs.


For more information, please see the WRFT22 facebook page or the WRFT website (links below).


Please let us know if you would like to come along so that we can order the right amount of soup and other food . . .?"

Best wishes,

Peter Cunningham


Wester Ross Fisheries Trust,

Harbour Centre,

Gairloch,

Ross-shire

IV21 2BQ


01445 712 672 / 07786 836 003


www.wrft.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/WRFT22