CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF MARINE CONSERVATION
Gill Sherry
Thirty years ago, concerned by the decline in Arran’s marine habitats, divers Howard Wood and Don MacNeish established the Community of Arran Seabed Trust, a community-led marine conservation charity.
“There are three key arms to the charity,” says Outreach and Communications Manager, Jenny Crockett. “We’re a campaigning body, a research body, and an education body. That’s what we work towards.”
Campaigning has been a priority since day one when Howard and Don began to garner support from the community. Education and research came later.
“Back in the mid-90s,” Jenny continues, “it was much harder to get under-water imagery than it is today, but they would go out and get that and then showcase to the community what rich life there was in Arran’s waters and show the damage that was being done.”
After 13 years of campaigning, Lamlash Bay No Take Zone (NTZ) became Scotland’s first Community-led Marine Reserve in 2008. It covers an area of 2.67sq km where no marine life can be extracted from its waters, seabed or shore.
“Seventeen years later, it remains the only No Take Zone in Scotland. It’s very sad considering we have the evidence that it’s working.”
The NTZ is one of only a handful in the whole of the UK and is the only one which is community-led. The waters south of the island are also covered by a Marine Protected Area (MPA) where restrictions on potentially destructive fishing methods are regulated.
Ten years after the NTZ was established, COAST opened its Discovery Centre in Lamlash.
“It’s a place where people can come and connect to the local marine environment. They can learn the unique story about how Arran’s community stood up for what they believed in and made change happen.
There’s information on results that we’ve seen over the years in the No Take Zone and Marine Protected Area, and the recovery we’ve seen. There are videos with footage that’s taken in the seas around Arran. There are interactive exhibits, a kids’ corner with colouring and stories, and a wee shop.”
The stars of the show, though, are the three marine tanks.
“We’re not an aquarium,” Jenny clarifies, “but we’ve got three tanks that showcase different habitats. We’ve got a sandy habitat, a living reef, and a rocky shore habitat. We get creatures from our shores and waters, keep them for a while, then put them back. It’s all catch and release, bringing marine life to the surface and accessible to all. The longer you sit at those tanks, the more life you’ll see because the beasties just hide amongst the rocks and all of a sudden, they’ll jump out!”
Entry to the Discovery Centre is free, but donations are encouraged and appreciated. Being a registered charity, COAST very much depends on donations in addition to the grants they receive from foundations and charitable trusts.
One of the main fundraising opportunities comes from its annual open day which this year, promises to be bigger than ever before.
“This is our big 30th year celebratory weekend! It’s taking place from 15th to 17th August with Saturday 16th being the main open day.”
Plans are still underway, but a variety of activities will be on offer such as boat trips and snorkel taster sessions. Other island providers within the tourist industry will also be invited to showcase their work.
“It’s about celebrating the community and thanking them, because without them we wouldn’t have got to where we are 30 years later.”
There are, of course, other activities taking place throughout the season. These include rock pooling, snorkelling, and beach cleans. There is also the opportunity to take a trip on the RV COAST Explorer.
“It’s not just a bimble out to see,” Jenny tells me. “It’s very hands-on! It can vary exactly what we do depending on weather and wind conditions but by and large what we try and do is send a camera down to the seabed which helps us monitor maerl, which is a coralline seaweed. It’s a very fragile species and one of the key reasons why the NTZ is where it is. We do bird surveys, we look at plankton and water clarity, and tell you a bit about the marine protected areas and why they’re so special to Arran.”
One thing it definitely is not, is a wildlife tour.
“You see wildlife if you happen to pass it,” says Jenny. “The trips are very popular. A lot of people like the idea of doing something different, rather than sitting on a high-speed rib and trying to find wildlife.”
The boat trips give people the opportunity to engage in real-world science and to contribute to vital marine conservation. In fact, COAST encourages those who see dolphins, porpoises or whales, to report their sightings on the Whale Track app which was set up by the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
COAST has certainly come a long way since it was incepted thirty years ago. Its co-founders, Howard and Don, both still volunteer their time and stay very much connected to the charity. But it wouldn’t survive, or indeed thrive, without the dedicated staff and volunteers who continue to campaign, educate and research.
“At the moment there are six staff members and two contractors, that’s our operational team. We’re also supported and bolstered by an army of volunteers. We have a whole host of volunteers… DIY, cake bakers, gardeners, snorkel instructors, some help out with events. And then there’s the front of house Discovery Centre team who basically allow us to be open seven days a week. We’re also supported by interns during the seasonal months.”
Last year, those volunteering for COAST equated to 2.5 full-time equivalent jobs, and ranged from those giving half an hour of their time, to others giving 20+ hours per week.
“When we’re a tiny team, that is massive!”
So, as well as looking forward to the charity’s 30th birthday, what’s else does COAST have in store?
“Now we’ve hit 30 years, it’s about celebrating the last three decades and celebrating the community and their hard work. But we’re also very conscious of looking forward to the next 30 years. In terms of recovery, how can we manage the affected areas more effectively. How can we inspire and empower the whole of the Arran community?”
The answers, she tells me, lie within a new project launched later this year.
“We aim to look to the whole island to document the rich fishing and maritime heritage and the unique marine life in our waters. It will showcase everything that the Arran community has to offer and try to gage opinions on what we could do next and what’s missing from the island in terms of marine protection and management.”
Basically, it’s about reconnecting with the community and getting that all-important community input. After all, COAST is a community-led charity.
For more information about COAST, to charter or book a trip on RV COAST Explorer, to donate, to get involved in snorkel sessions, shore scrambles or beach cleans, and to learn more about this year’s open day, visit www.arrancoast.com
