The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-09280, in the name of Paul Wheelhouse, on the year of natural Scotland.
16:41
Today’s debate focuses on the year of natural Scotland 2013 and its legacy. It was one of a series of four focus years that built on the success of our first ever homecoming in 2009. The aim of those years has been to boost our key tourism and events sectors as we progress to homecoming 2014.
In 2013, we celebrated Scotland’s outstanding natural beauty, landscapes and biodiversity and we promoted them to our people and our visitors. The year’s celebrations could hardly have started better. The media launch used the unforgettable image of a pair of Shetland ponies wearing Fair Isle cardigans, which was a neat way of marking the change from the year of creative Scotland to the year of natural Scotland. The media launch went viral and was seen an estimated 576 million times by a global audience. In addition, in naming Scotland as the top travel choice for 2013, CNN highlighted the year of natural Scotland.
One of the key strengths of the year was undoubtedly the sheer range of organisations that worked enthusiastically together. The Scottish Government provided £0.5 million of additional grant to VisitScotland and EventScotland to deliver its programme of activities for the year, and Scottish Natural Heritage was the lead partner agency.
The success of the year can be attributed to many organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Although those that were involved in the year are too numerous to mention individually, I acknowledge and thank them for their considerable contributions. I also thank the 67 MSP species champions who were signed up by Scottish Environment LINK, who have kept my mailbox busy.
There were many events during the year, so I can pick out only a couple of highlights. Last spring, VisitScotland ran a major new initiative in which Scots were given 15,200 free travel tickets to get out and about and enjoy the outdoors. The big April adventure was an example of successful partnership working with Caledonian MacBrayne, ScotRail, Serco NorthLink, Stagecoach and Citylink.
There was the Scotland’s big 5 campaign, in which VisitScotland and SNH teamed up to get everyone talking about Scotland’s nature and discovering five of the country’s indigenous and iconic species: the golden eagle, the harbour seal, the otter, the red deer and the red squirrel. The public then voted in their thousands, with the golden eagle soaring into top place, followed by the red squirrel. There were 12,000 downloads of a big 5 app, while 70,000 copies of “Scotland’s Big 5 Funbook 2013” were distributed to primary schools.
The year inspired the next generation to follow in the steps of naturalists such as John Muir. A natural explorers initiative was launched to encourage children to enjoy and explore the natural world on their doorstep, and 165,000 small, colourful fact-finder booklets were distributed to all pupils in primaries 5 to 7.
The national youth agency, Young Scot, launched a natural Scotland photo challenge, which encouraged young people to upload and share their favourite outdoors photos on their Facebook pages. Throughout 2013, hundreds of young people entered and voted for their best photos of natural Scotland.
A wide range of ministers were involved in promoting the year, too. For example, I got my hands dirty taking part in tree planting on the first ever John Muir day last April. I spent a morning with the friends of John Muir country park voluntary group planting saplings of native woodland trees such as rowan, blackthorn and silver birch. The plan was to increase a narrow woodland strip in order to provide a habitat for birds and improve biodiversity. That is just one example of the things that we can do.
Mr Lochhead commissioned a short film especially for the year of natural Scotland to help inspire debate about how and why we should protect our natural environment. The film was produced by the photographers of the 2020VISION photography project who are based in the Cairngorms national park. It told the story well of what we believe is our forward-thinking approach to nature conservation in Scotland. By focusing on ecosystems, we are not only protecting the wonders of individual species and habitats but highlighting the benefits that nature brings to us all.
In June 2013, I launched the refreshed Scottish biodiversity strategy. The 2020 challenge for Scotland’s biodiversity highlights the steps that we need to take to protect and restore Scotland’s biodiversity. As Claudia Beamish’s amendment highlights, the strategy flags up some of the challenges that we face. However, it recognises that Scotland’s nature not only supports our tourism, farming, forestry and fishing industries but is a vital element of maintaining and improving our health and wellbeing. Quite simply, Scotland’s rich and diverse natural environment is a key national asset, and its continuing health and improvement are vital to sustainable development and the Scottish Government’s purpose of sustainable economic growth.
Despite all the positive news around the year, I must mention the subject of wildlife crime. It was particularly galling that at the end of the year we had the cruel and barbaric killing of the young golden eagle that had been named “Fearnan”. The year of 2012 had seen a record low in confirmed poisonings, but I am afraid that 2013 saw not only the poisoning of Fearnan but an increase in the poisoning of other raptors and incidents of illegal persecution such as trapping and shooting. Those and other types of wildlife crime damage our reputation and threaten not only our growing wildlife tourism industry but vital industries such as our food and drink exports, which to some extent depend on our reputation for environmental protection.
We have been very clear about our determination to tackle wildlife crime and we have put in place a number of measures, such as the introduction of vicarious liability in the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011. In addition, last July I announced three further measures. There is quite rightly an impatience to see these crimes brought to an end, but we need to give the measures that I have announced the chance to have an impact and we should allow the police to pursue the methods that they believe to be appropriate. However, the chamber should make no mistake: we will not hesitate to take further action if we believe that it is necessary.
I turn now to what I think is a fitting legacy for the year of natural Scotland. I seek support from members here today for declaring the Scots pine—Pinus sylvestris—Scotland’s national tree. Following a member of the public bringing a petition to the Public Petitions Committee, I asked Forestry Commission Scotland to run a formal consultation to establish the appetite for and choice of a national tree. After a three-month consultation, we had more than 4,500 responses and the Scots pine was a clear winner, accounting for 52 per cent of the total responses.
What is a national tree for? It is a clear symbol of our affinity with Scotland’s trees, woods and forests and their importance to us all. It means that we have a clear symbol that was chosen for and by the people of Scotland, and a legacy for generations to come. The Scots pine has a lot to offer. It is steeped in the culture of Scotland and recognisable by many. Among writers who have referred to it is our national bard, Rabbie Burns, who mentioned the Scots pine—or the Scots fir as it was then known—in many of his poems and songs.
There are a quarter of a billion Scots pine trees in Scotland and they are home to some of our most iconic species, such as pine martens, red squirrels and the capercaillie. Scots pine trees are also the home of our only endemic bird species: the Scottish crossbill, which is not found anywhere else in the world. However, at the heart of this recognition of the Scots pine is the acknowledgement that despite the challenges that our environment faces, including diseases, we value all our trees and forests and those who work in forestry.
I can announce that, to help promote the national tree, I have asked Forestry Commission Scotland to make provision for a new, seedcorn fund for innovative projects and to create a national tree week in Scotland. Included in the funding support is a separate fund for schools.
An important legacy of the year of natural Scotland has been the collaborative effort to promote Scotland’s natural heritage. That will continue during homecoming 2014 and beyond—I will say more about that in my closing speech. I thank members for their attention, and I look forward to hearing the contributions to the debate from around the chamber.
I move,
That the Parliament acknowledges the contribution made by many to the successful delivery of the Year of Natural Scotland 2013; recognises that a key strength has been the close partnerships developed in showcasing Scotland’s natural heritage; notes that Scotland’s natural beauty continues to be one of the biggest tourist draws, especially during Homecoming Scotland, and welcomes the public support in declaring the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) the national tree of Scotland, which it considers a fitting legacy for the Year of Natural Scotland.
16:49
I join the minister in celebrating the success of the year of natural Scotland and congratulating all concerned. Our natural environment is one of the most stunning in the world. However, it is the legacy that matters most of all, as the minister has said, and I intend to focus my remarks mostly on that.
The statistics that SNH has produced are certainly encouraging. The 5 per cent increase in visits to Scottish attractions and the 8 per cent increase in visits to outdoor attractions during the year of natural Scotland are significant improvements, and VisitScotland rightly points out that they do not include visits to Scotland’s natural attractions, which makes the visitor numbers even more positive.
It is important that people from home and abroad get chances to appreciate the natural landscape for which Scotland is so well known. That is particularly relevant to people who live in urban settings, as a chance to get away from city life can be extremely beneficial. Urban green space is also vital. During the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee’s budget scrutiny, we were concerned to note that performance against the indicator that measures people’s use of the outdoors is worsening. I do not want to put a dampener on the debate, but it is important to acknowledge that.
In addition, only 64 per cent of disabled people access the outdoors, compared with 80 per cent of non-disabled adults. That should change, and I am glad that VisitScotland has begun to focus on improving access for those groups of people, which again will have economic benefits for tourism as well as improving general wellbeing in the population. I ask the minister to comment on the issue in his closing speech.
I was pleased to see that the Scots pine had been voted Scotland’s national tree, beating off stiff competition, and I am pleased by the announcement today of support for related education projects and the seedcorn fund. However, I stress that, although it is good to recognise the value of the Scots pine, we must be mindful of biodiversity as a whole.
In Labour’s amendment, we draw attention to our commitment across the Parliament to the 2020 challenge for Scotland’s biodiversity, which was drawn up in response to the European Union’s biodiversity strategy.
To help with the nature of the debate, I indicate that we are minded to support the amendment.
That is helpful—I thank the minister. People across Scotland will be pleased to hear that.
We are required to protect and, crucially, restore biodiversity on land and in our seas by 2020. Later today, in the Clyde 2020 debate, I will address marine biodiversity, which is essential in the process and which also supports marine tourism as an economic benefit. Land-based biodiversity, which is of course equally important, is often connected to the natural health of our surrounding seas. Improved biodiversity is valuable not only to the wide range of interdependent species that make up our ecosystems but to people’s wellbeing, as the minister said, and the positive impact on the economy should not be understated.
I have taken a keen interest in the development of the national performance framework, and I am particularly supportive of the continued inclusion of national indicators that relate to biodiversity. After a prolonged period of decline, there have been some encouraging signs of a slowing of biodiversity loss, as the briefing from Scottish Environment LINK and the Royal Society of Edinburgh points out. However, that is only a start. The Scottish Wildlife Trust highlights that the key threat is to protected sites. It points out we are being slow to get our most protected sites in a favourable condition, and it regards that as the greatest challenge.
In my view, the inclusion of a national ecological network as a national development in national planning framework 3 would build on the work of the central Scotland green network and be a strong signal of intent by the Scottish Government and another positive legacy of the year. The Scotland rural development programme also has a strong role to play in taking the issues forward, and I echo Archaeology Scotland in making a plea for the protection of our historic landmarks within the programme.
I like to think that there is cross-party consensus in the Parliament—in fact, I am fairly confident that there is—on a range of environmental issues from carbon emissions to biodiversity, and I hope that that will enable future Governments of whatever political identity to work towards the long-term benefit of Scotland’s ecosystems and the wellbeing of our people.
As a deputy convener of the cross-party group on cycling, I want to highlight the value of cycling tourism to Scotland. Sustrans has worked tirelessly to promote the uptake of cycling, and I was interested to hear of its e-bike rental scheme—it might suit me, because it involves electric bikes—which is funded by the Scottish Government. I am sure that there is potential for similar schemes in other parts of rural Scotland, and as the national cycle network provides 14,000 miles of car-free cycle paths across the country there is plenty of opportunity for us and for visitors alike to take in the natural landscape.
As the minister highlighted, there are now 67 MSP species champions under Scottish Environment LINK’s initiative. I ask all members to consider asking their party colleagues to join that number, so that all MSPs are species champions. The scheme has taken off and interests our constituents.
In South Scotland, £700,000 has funded a completely greenly powered greenhouse at Logan botanic garden. Funding for the future is essential. Will the minister address that point in closing?
Earlier today, I spoke to someone whom I had not met before and who works in the Parliament. They had driven in from Peebles through the misty sunrise. On what is now a fine spring day, there is from Mull of Galloway to St Abbs in my region—and that of the minister—and in wider Scotland much to celebrate and enjoy. Let us ensure together that the legacy of the year of natural Scotland continues to 2020 and far beyond.
I move amendment S4M-09280.1, to insert at end:
“; acknowledges the challenges ahead for Scotland to deliver the 2020 biodiversity targets, and agrees that meeting these targets would be an equally fitting legacy to the Year of Natural Scotland”.
16:55
I am pleased to speak in the debate, which follows the year of natural Scotland.
The year was launched to place the spotlight on some of Scotland’s great assets ahead of Scotland’s second year of homecoming in 2014. That was the point of it. The initiative, which was delivered in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, brought together a number of agencies with an interest in promoting Scotland at home and overseas, such as Creative Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Scotland, Scotland Food and Drink, Marine Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, to name just a few.
The year of natural Scotland was a great success and gave us the opportunity to celebrate and promote Scotland’s outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity. However, alarming reports have reached me and others of the rapid loss of seabirds in the Highlands and Islands and all round the Scottish coast because of food shortages. We should be concerned about that, as seabirds are a vital indicator of the general state of our seas. Problems seem to lie ahead, so all is not well beneath the beautiful mask. We should watch that barometer, because seabirds are vital to sustainability.
As Dr Mike Cantlay, VisitScotland’s chairman, was right to say, the year of natural Scotland was
“not just about heading from the city to rural parts”.—[Official Report, Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, 12 September 2012; c1885.]
Scotland was celebrated in our towns and cities as well as in the countryside. We must bear it in mind that Scottish culture and particularly the renowned Highland culture are delivered by people, who must have hope and sustainable jobs to keep that culture going. It is not enough to live on the view.
The year of natural Scotland was also about food and drink and our world-class products. In 2012, it was announced that local food had been given a boost, as £2.5 million was made available to support initiatives that put a spotlight on Scotland’s outstanding natural products. The remarkably successful seafood shack on Oban pier in Argyll, which the Ogden family run, is an example of how people love eating Scottish shellfish al fresco where it is landed. We need more focal points such as that for people who come to Scotland.
Placing an increased focus on the food and drink sector has meant that our exports of its products are increasing year on year and has cemented Scotland’s reputation for quality produce. Whisky is one of those things; it is and should remain unique to Scotland. It has a wonderful and exciting air about it. The whisky trail that goes down the Speyside valleys and to Islay and Jura brings an enormous number of tourists that way.
We in the Conservatives agree fully with the promotion of local goods. I would like to think that our 2009 campaign entitled buy local, eat local—I know that the Deputy Presiding Officer was keen on it—paved the way for the drive to consume more locally produced food, which brings multiple benefits that range from supporting home-grown businesses to reducing transport emissions. We have repeatedly stated the need to increase food production from our own resources and to find ways to remove barriers to food production, whether they come from the European Union or from Whitehall or Edinburgh red tape.
We have argued that local procurement must become the order of the day, with local hospitals, prisons and schools using local produce where possible to reduce the carbon footprint. I hope that the year of natural Scotland gathered support for Scotland and our food and drink resources.
Mature Scots pines are dramatic and wonderful trees that are especially part of the wonderful, heathery, rock-strewn landscape of much of the Highlands. Scots pine is also the plant badge of clan Gregor, which gives it an extra edge.
I agree with very much of what Claudia Beamish said.
17:00
All too often we Scots—sadly—fail to entirely appreciate what a beautiful country we live in. My journey to Parliament yesterday was convoluted. It involved attending Commonwealth flag-raising ceremonies on the coastal strip of Angus, before a series of constituency surgeries inland en route to our capital city. In just a few hours, I travelled from the wonderful golfing country of Carnoustie and Monifieth through the soft fruit and arable farming areas up towards Forfar, and on to Kirriemuir, from where we can see the Angus glens in one direction and look down into Strathmore in the other. I then went on to Auchterhouse and Fowlis in the shadows of the Sidlaws before I headed through quite stunning scenery in Perthshire and Fife, crossed the Forth and arrived in Edinburgh. There is no questioning how blessed we are in living in this country.
With that good fortune comes responsibility to do all that we can to protect our natural environment, not only so that it remains aesthetically pleasing to us and visitors to Scotland but to ensure that future generations can enjoy its rich biodiversity for decades and, indeed, centuries to come.
The year of natural Scotland was a brilliant idea not just because it was a guaranteed winner, given our starting point, but because it raised awareness of the importance of cherishing our natural environment. It has brought a welcome focus on the whole issue of biodiversity and how our countryside is managed that will, I think, continue beyond homecoming 2014.
One of the strategic aims of the year of natural Scotland 2013 was to
“Enhance Scotland’s reputation as a place of outstanding natural beauty with a landscape and biodiversity to enjoy responsibly.”
I think that that aim was realised. Just as important, that created a momentum behind better protecting and enhancing our natural surroundings that I am confident will be maintained.
My own highlights of 2013 included welcoming the Minister for Environment and Climate Change to Angus to visit the red squirrel project on the edge of my and Nigel Don’s constituencies. I also had the great privilege of spending a day in the company of gamekeepers on a hind shoot just over the border in Aberdeenshire. That experience was memorable for the understanding that it furnished me with of the pride and sense of responsibility that the overwhelming majority of gamekeepers have in their work, and for the astonishing surroundings in a glen that is just a few miles from the town of Edzell. So-called civilisation was but a few minutes away, but there was barely a trace to be found of man’s impact on the land, as we were surrounded by deer and plentiful mountain hares. We were privileged to watch a sea eagle soaring above us.
As a species champion, it would be remiss of me not to highlight, if only in passing, the importance of the Scottish Environment LINK-inspired and delivered programme that the minister and Claudia Beamish mentioned earlier. The programme has done much to raise awareness of the dangers that are posed to some of our native species and the fantastic work that a range of organisations is doing to protect them.
Amidst the positivity, there remains the fact that Scotland’s natural beauty has been and continues to be spoiled by the blight of littering and fly-tipping. As we look to continue to enjoy and, from a tourism perspective, fully exploit the potential of our wonderful country, we really must get our heads around that issue. Increasing the financial penalties for littering and fly-tipping, as the Scottish Government has done, is a welcome move in the right direction, and the work that Keep Scotland Beautiful and community groups are doing with clean-ups is to be commended. However, as with responding to climate change, we need a broad culture change across the whole of Scottish society.
Progress has been made, but looking round our countryside tells us that work remains to be done in that regard. We need littering and fly-tipping to become as socially unacceptable here as it is in other countries, because of the waste of recyclable resources that those actions represent and, just as important, the harm that they do to the splendour of our spectacular natural scenery and wildlife.
It is reckoned that Keep Scotland Beautiful’s clean up Scotland campaign, which paralleled the year of natural Scotland, involved 250,000 people and removed an estimated 3,000 tonnes of rubbish from our countryside. The Scottish Government’s provision of £250,000 in funding means that Keep Scotland Beautiful can build on that great work over 2014 and into 2015, and help to reduce the impact of littering and fly-tipping on our natural environment. Beyond that, I hope that the Scottish Government’s forthcoming littering strategy will have a particular focus on tackling the problem in rural areas, because it is utterly perverse to see our wonderful countryside besmirched by all kinds of discarded man-made refuse.
I endorse the Labour amendment. On the issue of halting biodiversity loss, far more unites us than divides us across the chamber. We need to heed the call for increased public awareness of and participation in biodiversity conservation.
To maintain the cross-party theme, I encourage everyone with a passion for our environment and, in particular, protecting its rich biodiversity to remember that the message is best delivered in clear and simple form. Perhaps wherever possible we should replace the word “biodiversity” with the phrase “the balance of nature”, as Alex Fergusson suggested at the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee. That would improve engagement levels among the wider populace.
National Government can draw up all manner of environmental strategies but those will be delivered only through and by the hard work and commitment of non-governmental organisations, local authorities, private business and the general public. The most fitting legacy of the year of natural Scotland would be that we maintain the momentum gathered in 2013.
17:05
I agree with Graeme Dey that we often take for granted our environment and surroundings. I enjoy most summers holidaying in Scotland, so I get to appreciate the beauty of the environment throughout the country.
I will concentrate my speech on Fife. The issue that we are debating is how we look forward and maximise the countryside’s economic and health and wellbeing benefits. I draw the Parliament’s attention to a couple of Fife-based projects that do exactly that.
The Lochore meadows country park is sited on landscape that was reclaimed from former pit bings. More than 640,000 people a year visit the park, which has disabled access right round the loch. I congratulate Fife Council, because just a few weeks ago, despite these difficult times, it committed £140,000 core funding from its budget for additional staffing to develop the park and £1 million in 2014-15 to develop a new visitor attraction. The council is also working with the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust to develop the park further. The park offers health and wellbeing opportunities not only to those who live in the former mining villages of Kelty, Glencraig, Crosshill, Lochore and Ballingry, but to pupils from the local schools and those right across Fife. That is an example of what more we can do with our countryside to encourage people to become healthier and to appreciate the outdoors.
I draw the minister’s attention to the Fife youth job contract, which is also run by Fife Council, under which a land-based academy has been established for 16 to 24-year-olds. The contract is a partnership between Fife Council; Fife Coast and Countryside Trust; the council’s core paths unit, which is establishing core path networks across Fife; Fife Golf Trust; the River Leven development; Living Solutions, which is an outdoor project based in my constituency; the Falkland centre for stewardship; and the Fife Ecology Centre. They are all working together to give young people opportunities to get the skills they need so that they can work in the outdoors and in land-based industries. Those opportunities come from training and supporting individuals to gain and sustain employment in the land-based sector; undertaking work to improve public access and employment opportunities; making environmental improvements; contributing to land management and, in particular, bringing unmanaged areas into management; and promoting a culture of enterprise by providing support to enable young people to start up businesses, because a lot of workers in that sector are self-employed.
The project, which was established two years ago, has had major successes and all the organisations involved are offering additional apprenticeships and training places, which give young people opportunities to work in the land-based sector. In relation to the economy, that shows that we need to do more to support skills. By working together, the different organisations, local government, the Scottish Government and the different public bodies that exist can achieve much more in terms of a legacy that has more people working on land-based opportunities.
I draw the minister’s and Parliament’s attention to the Fife coastal path, which is a project run by the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust. It covers some 117 miles, stretching from Kincardine and coming up through Inverkeithing, Rosyth, North Queensferry, Dalgety Bay and Aberdour in my constituency. More and more people are experiencing the Fife coastal path. That not only improves health and wellbeing, but gets people to experience the outdoors.
I support the motion and the amendment. I recommend that any member of the Parliament come to Fife and visit some of the attractions that I have talked about.
17:11
I am pleased to speak in this debate as the species champion for the native oyster—the species that is championed by me but consumed by my colleague Jamie McGrigor as often as he possibly can. That might be a slight irony, but there must also be something of a slight irony in the fact that the year of natural Scotland turned out in some ways to be one of the most unnatural years that we have experienced for a long time.
As I am sure we all remember, 2013 began with freakish snowstorms—certainly, in the south of Scotland—that caused immense damage, some of which still has to be made good, and ended with the wettest December for many a long year. What is more, the intervening summer was one of the hottest on record. I have still not worked out whether that was to compensate us for the dreadful spring that went before it or to prepare us for the dreadfully wet winter that, I hope, is now behind us. Whatever they were for, the extreme weather events of 2013 surely showed us that, although we might be able to tinker at the fringes of nature, we cannot control it. I think that most of us would agree that that is a very good thing indeed.
We are surely blessed—other members have used that word—in Scotland to have the wonderful natural environment that we all cherish. More than 11,000km of coastline, hundreds of islands, mountains, valleys, rivers and lochs have given us a landscape that thousands come to visit and millions wish they could. It can be no surprise that, as has been mentioned, visitors to outdoor attractions are rising at a faster rate than overall visitor numbers because, in the increasingly urban and information technology-dominated world in which we live, natural Scotland becomes all the more desirable and attractive.
Therefore, an official year of natural Scotland was well conceived and well timed. Its success has been well documented during this brief debate. The Conservatives cannot and certainly do not disagree with the Government motion except in one small matter, to which I will come shortly. However, it is absolutely right that we acknowledge the fact that the success of the year of natural Scotland was a result of the input of a host of individuals, partnerships and organisations. The wide-ranging speeches in the debate exemplify why that was the case. A huge amount of effort went into creating the success of the year, and many members rightly highlighted that effort.
I disagree with the motion—I think that it is only a drafting issue—in the suggestion that the creation of a national tree is
“a fitting legacy for the Year of Natural Scotland.”
I am very happy to recognise the designation of the Scots pine as one small part of the legacy but, if a real legacy is to be created, it surely must be about much more than that. Indeed, the Labour amendment, which we will also support, shows one way of achieving such a legacy.
I will highlight the role that education has to play in ensuring a fitting and proper legacy. In that regard, I commend the wild seasons initiative in Dumfries and Galloway, which is co-ordinated by the Southern Uplands Partnership and is currently gearing up for the launch of the wild spring 2014 festival on 5 April. That fantastic festival combines a plethora of educational events with a wide range of tourism initiatives and other events that link into other aspects of natural life in the region, such as the dark sky park. That surely epitomises the type of partnership working that is highlighted in the motion and which Alex Rowley talked about. I believe that that can provide the true legacy of the designated year of natural Scotland.
That legacy has to be national, as identified by Labour’s amendment, and local, as exemplified by the wild seasons initiative in Dumfries and Galloway. We on these benches are pleased to support the motion and the amendment. However, in closing, I suggest that we have only to look out of the window today to appreciate that, in some ways, every year could justifiably be called a year of natural Scotland.
17:15
This has been an interesting, if somewhat brief, debate. The year of natural Scotland is the latest in a series of themed years that have been used to promote Scotland as a tourist destination, promote Scottish businesses and provide a framework for cultural activity, but it provided an additional dimension as it gave us an opportunity to focus on environmental activity.
Last year, when I spoke at the RSPB natural awards launch event in Parliament, I said that, although the year of natural Scotland could be seen as a branding exercise, it had the potential to be much more than that. I also said that, if it was just a case of badging existing or planned events and activities as part of the year of natural Scotland, it would be a missed opportunity to make progress on key environmental and biodiversity challenges. For example, I noticed that VisitScotland’s website lists T in the Park as part of the year of natural Scotland, and I am not sure that that is the prime reason why people go to that event.
In terms of tourism, our natural environment is increasingly the number 1 reason why people visit Scotland. We know that Scotland has much to offer with regard to environment tourism, which, in the broadest sense, is on the increase. Also, themed years and activity that is focused around them are helpful with regard to the promotion of short breaks, which are also a growth area. Visitors are attracted by Scotland’s wild mountains, pristine rivers and lochs, ancient forests, stunning coastlines and islands rich with wildlife and history, but we should also recognise the importance of green space and variety in our more urban locations and attractions.
The year of natural Scotland was an opportunity to engage with people living in Scotland. The figures that were highlighted by Claudia Beamish, which highlighted a drop in the number of people who are accessing the outdoors, are concerning, given that Scotland has much to offer in this area.
I am grateful for the support of members across the chamber for Labour’s amendment. It focuses on the challenges that we face in meeting our biodiversity targets. We need to make more progress and, while the revised biodiversity plan is welcome, we need to monitor progress and to be prepared to be flexible and responsive. At the time of the consultation, there was also a call for more targeted activity with clearer objectives.
Last year, I was at the launch of the Fife biodiversity plan. A lot of the delivery in this area will be down to local leaders. The Fife plan describes the opportunities for people to get involved in protecting and enhancing biodiversity. Fife has many active communities that are developing community orchards, allotments, community gardens and green spaces. There will be more about that in my members’ business debate on Thursday, on greener Kirkcaldy.
I am glad that the minister raised concerns about wildlife crime. It is completely unacceptable, and I recognise the minister’s commitment to tackling it. However, we need to get the balance right between seeing whether new legislation will have an impact and dealing effectively with a difficult problem. The creation of Police Scotland has raised some questions about the resources and capacity that that organisation is able to give to wildlife crime. I would like the minister to address that in his closing speech.
The minister mentioned the Scots pine’s designation as our national tree. We are pushed for time this afternoon but, following concern about ash dieback and other tree diseases in recent years, it would be good if the minister could say a wee bit about where we are in relation to addressing tree health.
Graeme Dey made good comments on fly-tipping and littering, and we support the measures that have been introduced to address that problem.
Members have highlighted a number of attractions in their areas, some of which I know better than others. Alex Rowley talked about Lochore meadows country park, which, as a fellow native of Kelty, I know well. As a member of Kelty community council, I served on the park’s stakeholder group at a time when the park was growing. It is an excellent example of how a post-industrial site can be regenerated to become a wildlife haven that also provides leisure opportunities. While Fife has St Andrews as a key attraction, when it comes to attracting visitors there is always a need to try to expand and strengthen the offer beyond north-east Fife. As Mr Rowley highlighted, the coastal path is one attraction that embraces the whole county.
Last year, I held a members’ business debate on national parks and the report “Unfinished Business: A National Parks Strategy for Scotland”. National parks were a landmark project of this Parliament in its early years. Our two national parks have gone from strength to strength. I recently sat next to Grant Moir at a dinner and we talked about the Cairngorms national park and the positive developments that were going on within the park. As well as supporting our biodiversity targets, the national parks are excellent at maintaining and enhancing our natural assets. They have survived the economic downturn very well and are excellent models of creative and environmentally positive solutions to many of the challenges that are faced by our rural communities.
I would have liked to see a commitment from the Government during the year of natural Scotland on where we go next on national parks. While the identification of national trees and iconic wildlife species is beneficial and should be welcomed, this afternoon many of us have talked about legacy. I feel that a more ambitious path on national parks would have been a good legacy. However, that is an on-going campaign on which I hope we can see progress this year.
In many ways, the year of natural Scotland has been very positive, but much of the debate this afternoon has been about how we can develop that and continue to make progress on the key issues that have been identified. Hopefully, the year of natural Scotland will provide us with a platform to go on to more successes in many of those areas.
17:21
I thank members for their valuable contributions to this afternoon’s admittedly short debate. I will respond to some of the specific points that they raised shortly.
In 2014, Scotland is welcoming the world—it is a truly momentous year, in which we celebrate the second year of homecoming and host the Commonwealth games and the Ryder cup. Natural Scotland is one of the five underpinning themes of the year, alongside food and drink—which Jamie McGrigor referred to—ancestry, active Scotland and creative Scotland. Next year will be the year of food and drink, 2016 will be the year of innovation, architecture and design, and 2017 will be the year of history, heritage and architecture. We have more to come, which we hope will also generate success for the Scottish economy.
Work continues to ensure that natural-themed events feature strongly throughout 2014. I very much hope that a key legacy of the year of natural Scotland is that the working relationships created for the year continue to flourish.
Many members will know of another aspect of the legacy of the year of natural Scotland, which is that 2014 is the centenary of the death of John Muir, the Scots-born founder of the modern conservation movement and national parks. It is therefore very fitting that SNH is organising a John Muir festival to celebrate his life. The festival will be the key signature event for the natural theme during homecoming Scotland 2014.
The festival will start with the opening of the Kelpies at the end of the Forth and Clyde canal and will involve the launch of a new long-distance route called the John Muir way. Over the course of a week, there will be events and activities along the route of the John Muir way.
The John Muir way is a new coast-to-coast lowlands trail from Helensburgh in the west through to John Muir’s birthplace in Dunbar in the east. It echoes John Muir’s own personal journey: he grew up in Dunbar before travelling to the west coast to set sail for America. The First Minister will officially open the way in Dunbar on 21 April, which is John Muir day.
The way will be signposted, with a website, book, leaflets and map available to give people all the information that they need to complete all or part of the way. It has been designed to be used by everyone: long-distance walkers, cyclists and local communities—after all, it is on the doorstep of much of our population.
I was taken by the points Alex Rowley made in his thoughtful and intelligent speech. I thank him for mentioning the link to the mining communities in Fife. It is important that they have nature on their doorsteps so that they, too, can enjoy the outdoors and have the benefits of health and wellbeing that others, including Claudia Beamish and Claire Baker, mentioned.
The John Muir festival will finish with a street ceilidh and fireworks at Loch Lomond—an occasion that I am really looking forward to.
The other aspect of the legacy of the year of natural Scotland is the proposed declaration of the Scots pine as Scotland’s national tree. I take Alex Fergusson’s point about that, but we hope that it is a symbol that will allow people to think about nature more widely—not just trees and forests, although that is a key part of it, but the wider contribution that the natural environment makes to Scotland.
I will focus on members’ contributions during the debate and will try to refer to their roles as species champions as well, to bring a bit of fun to the debate.
I believe that Claudia Beamish is a sea trout and forester moth champion, so well done to her. She made important points about the increase in visits to outdoor attractions. However, she also referred to a decrease. We should not forget that during the year we had both the Olympics and an extremely wet summer, which had a detrimental impact on domestic tourism and short-visit-destination trips within Scotland. We should see that as maybe a blip, not as a sign of a downward trend. We await the 2013 figures.
I raised an issue about disabled access in particular. I hope that the minister will comment on that as well.
Certainly. I acknowledge Claudia Beamish’s comment about that. Indeed, she and Jayne Baxter have raised the issue at the Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee. [Interruption.]
One moment please, minister. Could members who are coming into the chamber leave their conversations outside?
Thank you, Presiding Officer.
I am conscious that we have to work on that issue and we are trying to do more equalities assessments of our national park proposals. We have shovel-ready projects and we have to look at how we can design them to accommodate people with disabilities.
Claudia Beamish also spoke about national performance indicators. I whole-heartedly agree that there is an important suite of indicators that go beyond gross domestic product and allow us to look at the wider health and wellbeing of our economy. I take trends in those figures very seriously.
On cycle tourism, Mr Lochhead and I have a long-standing challenge to have an electric bike race in a national park at some point, so we will try to take that forward. I take the point that cycle tourism is a great opportunity for Scotland; cycling is a growing sport on which we can capitalise.
Jamie McGrigor is a narrow-headed ant champion, according to the list of species champions, and he has asked me a number of written questions about that species, on which I congratulate him. I note his important point about seabirds. We take into account the fact that almost all bird species are covered by one special protection area or another. That is a crucial point. We will try to cover the one remaining species that is not well covered by the special protection area network—the black guillemot—to make sure that it is taken on board, and we are seeking to protect sand eels through the marine protected area network.
Will the minister give way?
I am short of time. I have only three minutes left, I am afraid, and I have to get through a number of other points.
Graeme Dey, who is the woolly willow champion, did a very good job of pointing out exactly why the year of natural Scotland was so important in driving tourism to areas such as Angus. In fact, having listened to his speech, I was quite tempted to book a holiday there. Angus is a stronghold for red squirrels, and I was delighted to visit his constituency to see the work that is being done to provide a front line in protecting red squirrels from disease.
Graeme Dey also made a crucial point about littering and fly-tipping. I add my commendation to his for the important work that Keep Scotland Beautiful does with the spring clean each year. I also endorse his view that behavioural change is needed to tackle the scourge of littering in our countryside.
I have already mentioned points made by Alex Rowley, but I was also very interested to hear the examples that he gave of projects in his area. I certainly look forward to hearing more from him on those themes. He is not yet a species champion, but he still has the opportunity to become one, and I encourage him to do so.
Alex Fergusson, who is the champion of the native oyster, made a very good point about the freakish weather. I addressed the point about outdoor visitor numbers in my response to Claudia Beamish, but we should celebrate the wild seasons initiative and other local initiatives in areas such as Dumfries and Galloway, because they make a massive contribution to the local economy. They also increase our understanding of the importance of the natural environment to our economy. I commend those initiatives as well.
Claire Baker is the champion for both the puffin and the lesser butterfly orchid—I congratulate her on hitting two. I take on board her points about events and branding. I suppose that we should not forget that T in the Park is held in the natural environment. It is an example of people using the natural environment—I hope they do not litter too much while they are there—although I accept that that is perhaps not the primary reason why they are at the event.
Claire Baker made a fair point about monitoring progress. As a Parliament and a society, we are looking to make more use of networks in relation to citizen science. The annual British Trust for Ornithology and RSPB survey of bird numbers is absolutely crucial to our understanding of what is happening in the wider environment. We need to build on that and other examples to engage people more fully.
I was asked about Police Scotland resources. It is my understanding and belief that we have increased the amount of resources available to tackle wildlife crime. There are issues with the transition, but I am confident that at both senior officer level and local level we have given wildlife crime officers the resources that they need to tackle the challenge.
I will perhaps have to seek another opportunity to come back to Parliament to talk about tree health. I know that it is an issue of importance to us all and I take it very seriously indeed.
I thank members again for their contributions to what was an interesting debate. It was all too short, unfortunately, but we will look for other opportunities to raise similar issues.
I remind members that the year of natural Scotland has been a great success. As we progress to homecoming Scotland 2014, we will work hard to build on the partnerships that were developed during 2013, to ensure that Scotland’s natural heritage and biodiversity go from strength to strength. I hope that members will support today’s motion, with its declaration of the Scots pine as Scotland’s national tree, and support the amendment in the name of Claudia Beamish. Both would be a fitting legacy for the year of natural Scotland.