Scottish Government urged to stop ‘catastrophic’ designation process for Orkney waters

Orkney Islands Council is calling on the Scottish Government to put proposals for new conservation designations over huge areas of local waters on immediate hold, citing that they will have a damaging effect on the community.

The council argues that the imposition of the marine Special Protection Areas (SPAs) would be catastrophic for both Orkney and Scotland as a whole.

Two draft SPAs are proposed for the waters around Orkney, one covering Scapa Flow and the Pentland Firth, the other encompassing a large area to the north of the Orkney Mainland.

SPAs are designated under European legislation as areas for the protection of rare, vulnerable and migratory birds. While respecting the need for responsible management of Orkney’s environment, the council is concerned that the proposals are unnecessary and prioritise conservation objectives ahead of new, or in some cases existing, human activity.

OIC Convener Steven Heddle said: “We see this as the biggest threat currently facing the council and our local community. This is why we have raised this objection in the strongest possible terms, supported by legal, socio-economic and environmental advice we have commissioned.

“The proposed conservation designations cover a massive area and, if imposed upon us, could effectively sterilise Scapa Flow – our prime harbour area – from future development. This is also the case for the Pentland Firth and Westray Firth, areas widely recognised as Scotland’s great resources for tidal energy.”