Salmon farmer insults island communities 22/9/11
Sirs,
The comments made by Mr Stewart McLelland, chief operating officer of Scottish Salmon Company, in an article on The Herald newspaper website of 11th September 2011, are an insult to the communities of the islands and a disgrace coming from a company that attempts to sell itself as community orientated. His comments very clearly show the reality of what little regard he and his company have for those living in the communities in which his business operates.
Mr Mclelland is quoted as saying (and I quite understand if he wants to say he never said this): “I don’t see communities as an obstacle. There are plenty who support what we are doing. You’ve got to distinguish between communities and campaigners.”
The distinction between communities and campaigners is, as he well knows, totally unsustainable and false. It suggests that those in local communities who oppose his plans are being duped into doing so by ‘campaigners’. It suggests that communities can’t oppose his plans without being branded ‘campaigners’ (and since when has campaigning been a dirty word?)
So, can he inform us which of the many 100s of local people who signed a petition against SSC’s proposed fish farm in Broad Bay are to be considered campaigners, and which are to be considered members of the community?
Are the local, community, highly regarded and longstanding voluntary organisations who opposed the planned farm to be dismissed by him as ‘campaigners’?
He knows because it is a matter of public record, that no off-
It is in fact the case that what Mr McLelland really means is that he only counts people as ‘community’ (and therefore to be listened to) if they agree with him and his company’s plans, and ‘campaigners’ are those who oppose his plans and should be ignored. This paints SSC as a defensive and bunkered operation not a community orientated company, and that is not a good way for such an important industry to operate.
The communities of the west coast of Scotland and its islands deserve to be respected by this operation not attacked by them, and for the sake of the long term viability of his business, he would do well to rethink his ‘them and us’ strategy toward the communities in which his business operates.
Scottish Salmon Company really needs to start properly discussing its plans with local communities, not paying lip service to them, but having a dialogue in which they, SSC, actually listen at an early stage to the responses of local people and have some respect and regard for their viewpoints, knowledge and experience.
Peter Urpeth
Back
Isle of Lewis
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