Fair Isle community praise for coastal protection work

Fair Isle. 

The Fair Isle Community has received praise for its work on coastal protection.

Highland and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess highlighted the Fair Isle Marine Environment & Tourism Initiative during a parliamentary debate on Thursday.

The Scottish Greens MSP had lodged a motion commending the work of the 19 Coastal Communities Network groups across Scotland.

Fair Isle’s community-led initiative saw its seas become the first designated Demonstration & Research Marine Protected Area in Scotland.

It will be used to resarch the ecological features and impacts on local seabird populations and the wider marine environment. It will also consider the socio-economic value of a healthy marine environment and partnership-led management.

This work is being taken forward by the Fair Isle Marine Research Organisation (FIMRO), which local residents helped to establish.

Ms Burgess said: “Restoring our marine and coastal environment is an urgent necessity but is also an opportunity for economic recovery by creating new green jobs and restoring fish stocks to create fisheries for the future.

 “Communities across Scotland are already leading the way on nature restoration and the stewardship of their environment.

 “I will support the Coastal Communities Network to grow its membership, and I encourage community groups to apply to the £55 million fund for Nature Restoration, delivered by Greens in government. The second round of applications closes on 18th February.

 “We are already seeing fantastic work from groups such as Fair Isle Marine Environment & Tourism Initiative, and I am excited to see what more will be achieved.”