The Sound of Mull

Tobermory Lighthouse at left, Ben Talla sticking its head out above the cloud.

We look out on it every day, so we know how beautiful it is, in all its moods; and we appreciate its value, not least as a source of income to those in the village who, sometimes in appalling weather, go out on it to catch prawns and lobsters and crabs. So when, on Tuesday evening, two men from the Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative came to the Community Centre to introduce their "Sound of Mull Draft Marine Spatial Plan Consultative Document", a number of villagers went along to find out what it was about.

It's a great document - if you can wade through the hundreds of pages and dense English - for it is an incredibly thorough survey of the marine environment, roughly in the area from Ardmore Point to Duart. In essence, they find the marine habitat remarkably healthy, despite the loss of its white fish and herring to earlier over-fishing.

They look at all the Sound's uses, and note that almost all do little damage and are of much value both to the local economy and to the many visitors who come here. Preparations for marine pollution seem to be better than when the Lys Foss went aground in 2001. There is need for better access in places. And they do note that, particularly in bad weather, boats such as clam dredgers come in and wreak havoc across the sea floor.

Their recommendations are sensible and well reasoned. Sadly, they do not confront the issue of large-scale damage to marine stocks. The project has some time to run before it reports fully. We hope they will have the courage to confront the remaining problems and come up with some sensible recommendations upon which the Scottish Government can act.

JH