The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-08449, in the name of Kenneth Gibson, on Clyde 2020. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament acknowledges the commitment of Scottish ministers to meet the requirement under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to bring the Clyde up to Good Environmental Status by 2020; recognises the substantial economic, social and environmental importance of the Clyde, both locally and nationally; believes that meeting the Clyde 2020 target will increase employment in a diversified fishing industry, enhance tourism by boosting recreational sea fishing and improve biodiversity on and around the Clyde; understands that there is a wide range of parties with an interest in the future of the Clyde, including the people of Cunninghame North, and welcomes efforts by those parties to work together to deliver on these objectives.
17:32
I thank the 43 MSPs, representing the independents and all five political parties in the Parliament, who signed the motion to make the debate possible. I also thank the Community of Arran Seabed Trust—COAST—and the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust for their briefings, and in particular I thank James Mackenzie for his energy, drive and enthusiasm. It is also good to see people in the gallery who have travelled a considerable distance for the debate, including a number of my Arran constituents, with whom I travelled on the boat from Brodick this morning.
The Firth of Clyde is vital to Scotland’s economic, cultural and environmental good health. It is one of the deepest coastal waterways in the British Isles and supports fishing, shipping, and tourism. Twenty per cent of all Scottish cargo passes through Clyde ports and about 60 per cent of all ferry traffic in Scotland travels across the Clyde. The Clyde also hosts Scotland’s only naval base. Recreational boating is becoming increasingly important, not least in my constituency, and about 40 per cent of all Scottish boats berth in the Clyde.
In recent decades, the Clyde has suffered severe losses in ecological and economic wellbeing. Overfishing has led to declining fish biodiversity, which has over the years caused many marine species to become increasingly rare and, in fact, smaller. The fishing industry has been forced to turn from its traditional finfish landings to an industry that is based increasingly on nephrops and scallops.
Fisheries have also led to a decrease in the recreational angling boats that were once so popular. Trawlers undoubtedly disrupt the natural ecosystem; trawls and dredges are invasive, because they drag the seabed bottom. Such fishing methods enabled the expansion of fishing opportunities and for decades there were increased fish landings each year. However, in 1889, only nine years after trawls were introduced to the Clyde, a 3-mile ban was placed on trawls because there had been a noticeable decline in fish catches. The ban helped to protect marine ecosystems, and although it had many beneficial effects, it was lifted in 1984, which allowed for expanded fishing opportunities, but at high environmental and economic costs.
The Clyde was once very productive, with a wide variety of finfish and marine life including shoals of herring, cod, whiting and others, but the introduction of more invasive fishing methods intensified fishing past sustainable levels. The removal of the 3-mile ban was surely a contributory factor to the near collapse of bottom fisheries. The range of marine Clyde fish species has changed drastically, because many species are unable to cope with trawling or with pollution. Fishermen have to put in more hours to catch the same amount of fish as they caught in previous years.
In 1985, about 75 per cent of all Firth of Clyde landings consisted of finfish; now, they account for only 2 per cent of landings. As fish availability has declined drastically, the fishing industry has developed an overdependence on shellfish.
Over time, sea angling has also faltered. Recreational sea angling was once a flourishing and profitable business that attracted people from far and wide to the waters of the Clyde. All the trophy-sized fish have disappeared, however, so many leisure fishermen stay away, and many areas around the Clyde have lost the tourism that sea angling brought in, which has damaged local economies.
Clyde 2020 is a Scottish Government initiative to meet the European Union’s environmental requirements, as outlined in the marine strategy framework directive, which promotes environmental practices to allow EU waterways to maximise their economic potential while supporting and maintaining healthy marine environments.
On 23 April, a Clyde 2020 summit will be held in Glasgow to discuss what measures should be taken to bring the Firth of Clyde up to good environmental standing by 2020. The event is intended to bring together representatives from the fishing industry, environmental groups, the tourism industry and leisure organisations to explore different options, including improved fisheries management to re-establish a healthy marine ecosystem in the Clyde.
It is important that the summit and the Clyde marine regional planning partnership give equal standing to all stakeholders, and that they are not seen to favour a handful of bottom trawlers and scallop dredgers to the detriment of the Clyde environment and the wider economy.
Environmental initiatives to be created during the Clyde 2020 summit should allow Scotland to become a leader in ecosystem restoration. The Scottish Government is already committed to a research programme that supports the restoration of marine biodiversity in the Clyde. Many proposals have been brought to the table, and the summit will consider the possible environmental and economic benefits of provisions covering mobile and static gear zones, small protection zones and no-take zones.
The economic and environmental benefits of the Lamlash Bay no-take zone have been evident since its establishment in 2008, following more than a decade of campaigning by COAST. The first of its kind in the Clyde and in Scotland, the no-take zone is only 2km2—a tiny fragment of the 3,700km2 Clyde estuary. Five years after its creation, scientific surveys show that scallops are 50 per cent more abundant than they were before the NTZ was introduced. Queenies are 45 per cent more abundant, and the larger sizes of both means that their reproductive capacities have increased more than a hundredfold.
The Lamlash Bay NTZ is a success story, so there is some frustration that Marine Scotland and the Scottish Government are apparently so shy about singing its praises. The spillover effect alone can have only positive benefits for our fisheries. We need to recognise that success and to apply similar zones elsewhere in the Clyde and beyond, given the opportunities that are presented to establish marine protected areas—not least the proposed south Arran MPA.
One of the biggest supporters of Clyde 2020 is the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust, which promotes a sustainable management approach to all Scotland’s waterways. SIFT is committed to projects that will rebuild marine biodiversity in the Clyde and promote sustainable fishing practices. The trust believes that combining those two objectives can create a sustainable and economically workable mixed fishery that would benefit Clyde communities and all of Scotland.
SIFT is currently consulting on how organisations can work together to bring the Clyde to good environmental standing by 2020. It is attempting to submit a regulating order under the authority of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967, to place sustainable management of the Clyde in the hands of local stakeholders. Such a scheme already operates successfully in Shetland’s waters; it would put in place licensing management, an independent management organisation and more marine protected areas to assist with restoration.
Sadly, the Clyde is no longer a first-choice fishery. Clyde 2020 is about bringing diverse groups together to create a mutually beneficial management system. Short-term environmental and economic restoration is an integral part of the Clyde initiative, but we also need to focus on the bigger picture—a long-term solution that will deal with issues such as pollution and littering and will ensure that the Firth of Clyde, through improved sustainability, will sustain ecosystem biodiversity and bring economic prosperity for many generations to come.
17:39
I thank Kenneth Gibson for securing this important debate. I apologise for having to leave after I speak, but I have a committee commitment.
I am glad to be able to speak about the marine environment in the Clyde—especially about the goal of achieving good environmental status by 2020. I want to say something about context. As members will be aware, under the EU marine directive, we are required to achieve good environmental status by 2020, so playing our part in protecting our shared European marine resources is important, and the contribution that can be made for the future by inshore waters and the Clyde, for example, is very significant.
The passing of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 allowed us to transpose the EU directive into domestic law and, by all accounts, it is a sound piece of legislation. I hope that the cabinet secretary agrees with me on that. However, as I am sure members will appreciate, there is a crucial difference between setting legislation and being able to implement its terms and goals, which are often complex and sometimes conflicting. The statutory duties to protect fragile ecosystems, increase marine biodiversity and balance the potentially damaging impacts of marine-based industries are complex. Progress has sometimes been slow, which is another reason why I welcome Mr Gibson’s debate.
It is my strong belief that sustainable development must be at the heart of all those issues. The marine plan is needed desperately; it is intended to provide policymakers with the guidance that they need in order to develop the marine strategy and to balance the often competing interests that I have highlighted. I hope that the reason for the latest delay is that the Scottish Government is taking on board the scientific advice of a range of non-governmental organisations, such as RSPB Scotland, the Marine Conservation Society and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. I hope that when it is finally published, we will have a credible plan that will support the Clyde and other inshore fishery areas, as well as the whole range of issues that are underpinned by biodiversity. There is no doubt that Clyde area of our coastline is important for the overall health of our waters.
Increased educational awareness of such issues is also vital. Today I highlight the Clyde in the classroom project, which is a terrific project that is being run by the Crown Estate, which I was lucky enough to take part in with primary school pupils in rural Clydesdale. The project is aimed at primaries 5 to 7; pupils raise brown trout eggs in their class before releasing them into tributaries of the Clyde—in our case, quite a small ditch. The pupils see at first hand the development of a fish species that is native to Scotland. It is a very exciting project and I commend it.
Last week, I met members of SIFT. I understand that some of them are in the gallery today to listen to the debate. I was encouraged to hear about their commitment to ensuring the continued viability and enhancement of Clyde waters. I am sure that we are all hopeful that the pilot project in the Clyde is a success and that SIFT will be able to cast its net wider and work in other areas of Scottish inshore water.
The task is not an easy one. As Mr Gibson highlighted, there is a long-standing range of conflicts between the various fishing sectors. Shipping also needs to be taken into account, as does marine tourism, which I fully support. I am hopeful that the Scottish Government will provide SIFT with the tools that it needs to tackle the problems that are faced by the Clyde. The introduction of a regulating order might well be the way forward, and I also want to support the establishment of a Clyde fisheries management organisation that can bring stakeholders together. That could help the Clyde to achieve the much-sought-after good environmental status by 2020, and contribute to the overall health of Scottish inshore waters.
Again, I thank Mr Gibson and wish the whole project well.
17:43
I congratulate my colleague Kenneth Gibson on securing this important debate. We heard from him about the powerful reasons why we ought to do whatever we can to protect our inshore fisheries areas, but I aim to focus my remarks on the economic reasons.
I represent the West Scotland region, so this issue obviously falls within my area, but I also chair the cross-party group on recreational boating and marine tourism. One of the members of our cross-party group is the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network. I do not sail and I do not fish, but in working with the cross-party group I have been struck by the increasing appreciation among the various groups involved that, if there was a more collaborative approach across the wider marine tourism sector, we would all benefit.
That was highlighted even more when the cross-party group held our marine tourism symposium in the Parliament 12 months ago this week, during Scottish tourism week. We had various speakers, including people from the wildlife tourism sector, who really struck a chord with those in attendance. The group has helped to provide a more holistic approach to marine tourism, although it has possibly not been immediately visible to the operators, particularly in recent years, as economic conditions have been challenging. The clear message on the wildlife tourism economy is that we can all benefit from healthy wildlife in Scotland. Whether we look from a conservation or economic perspective, Scotland can benefit from the environment, which makes a huge contribution to our nation.
The motion mentions that there is
“a wide range of parties with an interest in the future of the Clyde”.
I certainly cannot disagree with that. Those politicians who cover the Clyde have an interest—I have certainly had discussions with Kenneth Gibson about the Clyde in the past and I am sure that we will have more in future—but politicians are only part of the answer. I argue that the users of the Clyde are the people with the long-lasting solutions for the issues that affect the Clyde.
The helpful briefing that Scottish Environment LINK supplied for the debate highlighted the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation and said that LINK welcomes further detail on emerging management proposals and the potential to meet the distinct and complex needs of the Clyde fishery. The Scottish Government’s Clyde ecosystem review said that the Clyde could best be compared to
“used agricultural land in need of restoration”.
Clearly, that is not good enough—members will be on the same page on that. I welcome the work that is under way to provide a more sustainable solution.
The briefing from the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust was also helpful. It highlights the issues from which the Clyde suffers, which include an overdependence on shellfish—they make up 99 per cent of landings on the Clyde—damage to sea bed habitats and poor sea angling opportunities. The 2020 target to bring the Clyde back to good environmental status is welcome, and I am convinced that we will have a solution for everyone.
In July 2009, the Scottish Government published the report “Economic Impact of Recreational Sea Angling in Scotland”, which indicated that, across Scotland, sea angling is worth just over £140 million for the economy. That is despite what we know and have heard about the Clyde today. A healthier Clyde and a sustainable solution will bring even more recreational sea anglers to the Clyde’s shores, towns and villages, and I am sure that the economic benefit of £140 million will increase as a consequence.
I thank Kenneth Gibson for bringing the motion to the chamber.
17:47
I declare an interest as an honorary vice president of the Clyde Fishermen’s Association.
I, too, congratulate Kenneth Gibson on securing today’s important debate and I am pleased to take part in it. I welcome to the public gallery a number of my constituents, including Mr and Mrs Tim James from Skipness, who are fishermen and fish smokers and who own the famous Creelers restaurant in Arran and the Skipness Seafood Cabin. I acknowledge the work that has been undertaken by the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust, which in January hosted a useful briefing on the subject in the Parliament, and its desire to have a regulating order to manage the Clyde.
All members will agree that we want the Clyde to enjoy as good an environmental status as possible. That must be in everybody’s interest. The challenge that we face is how to achieve that status while allowing existing fishing activities to continue in a sustainable and appropriate manner. The marine strategy framework directive allows flexibility in its implementation to balance the interests of nature conservation and sustainable marine harvesting, which will be crucial.
I am very aware of the economic importance to the communities in Argyll of the prawn vessels that currently fish the Clyde waters. Those prawn boats have demonstrated that their impact on cod stocks is negligible. Creeled fishing is also important, and artisanal local creel fisherman must be allowed to continue their business, but herein lies a problem.
About 10 years ago, in order to keep twin-rig trawls, trawl fishermen agreed for conservation purposes to a weekend ban on trawling in the Clyde, whereupon an abundance of creel fishermen from everywhere pounced, and they probably caught just as many prawns, especially female breeding prawns, as the trawlers would have caught.
Where does that leave the artisanal local creel fisherman who plies his trade with a small boat and catches lobsters, crabs and prawns? Surely there must be local fish for local fishermen of that type rather than a free-for-all with big boats coming from Cornwall and elsewhere. In this Parliament, we all spend time calling for more jobs in rural areas. Local fish will produce those jobs.
Last year, Tarbert-based fisherman Kenny McNab, a past chairman of the Clyde Fishermen’s Association, came to Parliament and gave a fascinating and enlightening presentation on some of the reasons for the decline in various demersal fish stocks in the Clyde since the 1950s that has led to the current dependence on the prawn fishery. Particular concerns were voiced about the accuracy and validity of some of the scientific data that are used to justify existing policies and restrictions in the Clyde area and about how such data are collected. I said at that time, and I repeat today, that it is vital that the Scottish Government, Marine Scotland and all their scientists at all levels work closely with the local fishermen as well as the other stakeholders so that their practical knowledge can combine with scientific evidence to make that evidence as reliable as possible in the interests of achieving sustainable fisheries and fishing communities in the Clyde.
The motion also mentions “recreational sea fishing”. The Scottish Conservatives are positive about sea angling and the economic benefits that it can bring. Indeed, I have previously undertaken work with the Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network and I commend its efforts. Other parts of my region, such as Orkney, offer world-class sea angling opportunities, and it would be fantastic to see those replicated in the Clyde once again, as well as a return of some of the demersal fish stocks to which I referred a few moments ago.
I welcome the focus on the Clyde and look forward to matters being progressed. We must seek to take all interests with us, including the fishermen who currently make their living from the Clyde, as we seek to improve the Clyde’s biodiversity. There are positive lessons to be learned from the shellfish regulating order in Shetland, and I hope that those can be studied with a view to their possible use on the Clyde.
In the 1960s, as a sea angler, I used to go fishing from Tarbert with my mother and we quite happily caught a box of haddock, codling and whiting, which we took back and fed to the whole village. I hope that such a thing can happen again one day.
17:52
I, too, thank those who have travelled from far afield, including those who have come from SIFT and COAST. I spent a very pleasant fortnight in the Creeler’s cottage on Arran.
The speeches at the Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust’s parliamentary reception last month struck a real chord with me. Mr Nick Ferguson, the chairman of SIFT’s advisory group, described the collapse of the Firth of Clyde fisheries from sustained overexploitation. He described the collapse of angling and tourism and the huge decline in the number of boats heading out from his home village. He told us that 28 boats used to go out every day but that today there are only two or three. He also spoke about the depopulation of the towns and villages around the Firth of Clyde and about a population decrease in the tens of thousands. He described how, most evenings, there would be 10 or so boats out fishing for recreation in the Kyles, whereas now he might see one if he is lucky. He spoke about how the area was home to the biggest sea angling competition in Europe—a competition that has not happened for the past 25 years or so.
The Clyde is now described as
“a fishery of last resort.”
The situation is bad, but SIFT and others believe that it is redeemable. In countries that have taken decisive action, stocks have recovered. We can take such action to return the Clyde to a vibrant, living ecosystem that reverses the trends that Mr Ferguson and others have eloquently described.
From the 1960s, boats with diesel engines, sonar fish finders and heavy trawl mesh have transformed fishing from a seasonal and modestly profitable living to a year-round and lucrative one. However, the herring became scarce, and then even bigger engines and new dredgers turned their attention to other species including cod, plaice and sole. Little thought was given to the long-term impacts of those practices.
Bit by bit, politicians removed what protection there was and opened up previously protected parts of the Clyde when the unprotected parts were fished out. In 1984, as Kenny Gibson noted, a ban on trawling within 3 nautical miles of the shore was lifted. It really does beggar belief.
However, the marine protected areas and the 2020 plan give us an opportunity to do things differently. I am delighted to be taking part in a debate that is driven by the work of concerned local people and local businessmen who live in and understand the areas concerned, and who also understand the potential that exists for jobs to be created in recreational angling and tourism. I would like VisitScotland to get involved in the agenda to transform the Firth of Clyde and the areas around it.
What struck me about the SIFT recovery plan is that it is classic, practical Green thinking, in that it involves local control of resources and is based on a clear understanding that sustaining a healthy environment is the foundation that is needed for a healthy economy, for jobs, for people’s wellbeing and for the wellbeing of the seas that sustain them. It is about an independent body that is led by local people, including traditional fishermen, being responsible for the area’s best management, informed by independent science. It is about recognising the role that marine protected areas can play in the Clyde, supporting conservation and seeing the need for measures—such as the regulating order that is proposed—that can put the economics of the fisheries first.
We should all be very grateful to Kenny Gibson for bringing the debate to the Parliament. It is extremely pleasing that there is all-party support for what should not be a partisan issue, nor one on which people mistakenly believe that the interests of the environment and of the fishing industry should be at odds.
I would be grateful if the cabinet secretary could advise us when the three proposed marine protected areas in the Clyde will receive that designation and whether he is determined that the Clyde 2020 summit will provide the results that the Clyde desperately needs. I look forward to hearing his response, and I urge him to work with SIFT, COAST, the creelers and the Clyde Fishermen’s Association, and to involve all such groups on an equal footing to other stakeholders. It will be tight to make progress by 2020, but we need to do so and, by working together, a good start can definitely be made.
17:57
I welcome Kenneth Gibson’s motion and the opportunity to discuss Clyde 2020, which is the new programme to test and implement practical measures to restore the Clyde marine ecosystem. I pay tribute not only to Kenneth Gibson and the other members who, over the years in the Parliament, have promoted the Clyde at every opportunity, but to the many people in the public gallery and the others in local communities who, through tenacity and determination, have done so much to ensure that the future of the Clyde stays firmly on Scotland’s agenda, the Parliament’s agenda and, indeed, my agenda.
There is a great deal of interest in Scotland’s marine environment. We have a rich marine biodiversity, and we are developing a new framework to manage our seas. The Clyde is no exception. In the past, programmes such as “Panorama” and publications such as The Economist have shown interest in it and, over the past few years, the future of the Clyde has risen up the agenda, as we have all noticed. That is one of the reasons why we are discussing Clyde 2020 tonight. Again, that is down in no small way to the efforts of those members of local communities who have championed the cause of the Clyde.
Clyde 2020 provides a new opportunity to create a better vision for the Clyde. I recently had the pleasure of speaking at an event here in the Parliament that was organised by Kenneth Gibson and SIFT, which was attended by a number of colleagues from all parties. At that event, I announced the Clyde 2020 stakeholder summit to develop a vision for the Clyde. Some key steps must be taken to achieve that vision, which I will talk about shortly.
As we have heard, the Firth of Clyde is a huge social, economic and environmental resource for Scotland. We all agree that the marine environment is a resource that must be protected. Members should believe me when I say that I am very committed to working with stakeholders to improve the Clyde ecosystem through the Clyde 2020 initiative. That will involve bringing together marine planning, environmental and fisheries interests, and underpinning action in those areas with new scientific studies.
Through recent scientific studies, including a report by Marine Scotland science, we have increased our knowledge of the Clyde ecosystem and how it has changed over time. We made the Marine Scotland science study available to stakeholders when it was published in 2012. Since then, our scientists have continued to work in collaboration with others to ensure that we have the best available knowledge. That work, combined with management tools such as the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and our first marine plan—many members have referred to those—and the proposals on marine protected areas, to which Alison Johnstone just referred, will provide a new framework for managing and improving the marine environments on the Clyde.
Voluntary measures, including the planning pilot on the Clyde, led by the Firth of Clyde forum, and statutory regional plans also provide an opportunity to complement and implement the EU marine strategy framework directive to achieve good environmental status at the north-east Atlantic scale. Clyde 2020, regional marine planning and the framework directive will assist in achieving a healthy Clyde ecosystem by 2020. I am confident that that will happen if we all work together and address many of the issues to which members have referred.
Community organisations and individuals continue to provide views on and support for new initiatives in the Clyde, such as the protected areas and the proposed improvements in fisheries management that are being discussed. For example, the Community of Arran Seabed Trust developed protected area proposals for Lamlash bay and more recently for the sea around south Arran. I assure Kenneth Gibson, in response to his earlier comment, that the Scottish Government very much recognises the good story that can be told in the Lamlash bay area. Of course, I hope that it will be told in the future for the wider sea around south Arran. We recognise that there is a good story to tell and that we have to build on it.
The sea around Arran is productive and rich in biodiversity, and it supports communities both on and off the island. Visitors from home and abroad come to the island to enjoy the rich wildlife, while fishermen continue to work those areas to support their families. As we have heard from members, there are restaurants in Arran that serve fantastic local seafood. Given the island’s attributes, I feel that I am talking myself into a family holiday on Arran in the near future. I have been there on business a few times in the past few years, but I really should go for a holiday there and enjoy the seafood and the rich wildlife.
The MPA proposals in particular will help maintain a healthy sea for the future so that we can continue to enjoy its benefits. Stakeholder engagement must be at the heart of that. For healthy seas, we need healthy fish stocks, and stakeholder engagement will be key to building sustainable fisheries management. Fishing is an important part of the economy and the ecosystem. It is important to many coastal communities around Scotland, including those located around the Clyde, which is why we must support sustainable fisheries in Scottish waters. They provide economic and social benefits, and support local services. All the benefits that Jamie McGrigor and others referred to in their speeches are very important for the more remote and fragile communities in parts of this country.
We need to ensure that fishing is sustainable and that there is access to fishing grounds. We must also consider how best to share the marine environment with other users. In particular, I want to build on the inshore fisheries strategy. I look forward to working with fishermen and other stakeholders, including those on the Clyde, to ensure that we have a sustainable and profitable inshore sector. This is a pivotal year for inshore fisheries. At the upcoming inshore fisheries conference in Perth on 28 March, I will reflect on the progress that we have made over the past 12 months since the last conference and set out my priorities for the coming year. The Clyde will be an important element of our discussions at that event. Again, I hope that members from all parties and the local communities recognise that the issue of inshore fisheries is rising up the Government’s agenda.
I believe that there is consensus on the value of a healthy Clyde ecosystem. We are lucky in having a breadth of expertise available. Clyde 2020 focuses on the ecosystem, including commercial and recreational fisheries, to which members have referred, but will also include the social and economic interests that depend on and derive benefit from the Clyde. I very much recognise that we need to work together to identify what further action is required to support the regeneration of the Clyde ecosystem. We need to recognise that action is on-going and work smartly to better co-ordinate and build on existing efforts.
That is what the new Clyde 2020 programme sets out to achieve. Marine Scotland, in partnership with the Firth of Clyde forum, will hold a stakeholder summit on Clyde 2020 in Glasgow on 23 April to develop a vision for the Clyde and the key steps to achieving that vision. We will all get together on 23 April and discuss many of the issues that have been raised in the chamber tonight, thanks to Kenneth Gibson’s motion; we will work out how to take forward those issues and plot a course to achieving good environmental status by 2020.
Many people have an interest in the future of the Clyde, including people in the public gallery and MSPs in the chamber. It will not be easy and there will be many tough subjects to discuss, but I hope that we can reach consensus on many of the subjects and move forward. However, more than ever before, the future of the Clyde is much higher up the Parliament’s agenda and the Government’s agenda. Of course, it is all about the local communities’ agenda as well, because we want to support our local communities and give them a say in the future of the Clyde. I am confident that through the Clyde 2020 process we will achieve that.
I commend Kenneth Gibson’s motion to Parliament, which is playing a key role in keeping this issue on all our agendas as we take forward a healthy ecosystem in the Clyde.
Meeting closed at 18:05.Previous
Decision Time