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SNH show “contempt for the democratic process”           4/12/11

Staff at Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) apparently actively pushed to slammed restricted environmental rules over fishing grounds off Barra despite their “neutral” role, it has been claimed.  

Angus Macleod of campaign group SHAMED has raised questions over SNH staff attitude towards the consultation over two European Special Areas of Conservation (SAC’s) in the Sound of Barra and at East Mingulay.  

The group has received a large volume of material under a Freedom of information request containing internal e-mails written by Scottish Natural Heritage staff since early 2008.

It includes an “annoyed” reaction from a SNH scientist on being told the them minister Mike Russell wanted to put the conservation procedures put on ice.

Angus MacLeod said: “This news clearly did not please one SNH scientist who e-mailed back to a colleague by signing herself, ‘Yours a little annoyed, Carol.’

“She complains in her e-mail that she had been working on the site documents for two years and that she didn’t feel all her work should be held up.”

Mr Macleod continued: “This is bad enough, to see in black and white that SNH staff have this attitude towards designations which are going to have a potentially devastating impact on our communities. But it gets worse! “

He went on: “The SNH scientist actually writes that ‘irrespective of whether the EC indicate a need for these sites, surely we can’t ignore the Mingulay cold water reef site?...And the extensive maerl/seagrass beds (i.e. in the Sound of Barra) are also justifiable…”

“This person and who knows how many other SNH personnel are clearly of the view that they are a law unto themselves,” said Mr MacLeod.  

“SNH and government officials told us time and time again that they had to proceed with these sites because of EC strictures.  Now you really have to wonder if that is true.”

He said: “The most appalling statement in this e-mail reveals the contempt SNH feel for the democratic process because she goes on to protest: “Are we advising as the conservation body, or being directed by the local community?”

“In the light of this one e-mail,” concludes Mr MacLeod, “it is high time the people working at SNH came under more scrutiny and that politicians be made more aware of what they really think and do behind closed doors.”

But the environmental agency hit out at Mr Macleod’s claims insisting the e-mail was taken out of context.

A SNH spokesman said: “It is quite plain that the emails refer to the importance of the natural heritage interests of the east Mingulay site; their place in the European suite of designated sites, and our work in respect of those considerations.

"This work takes place in the context of the Scottish Government, Marine Scotland and the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). That means our work is directed by European, UK and Scottish environmental legislation and policy.

“It is unfair to single out individual staff for comments they have made without SHAMED being aware of the full context in which they were made, and we are disappointed that this has been done.

“It is a fact that these nature conservation sites have attracted more than £12million-worth of European funding into Scotland’s economy, to local initiatives in rural areas, including the Western Isles.

“This is in recognition of the fact that the natural environment is this country’s greatest asset, for education, for quality of life and for the country’s future economic prosperity.”