Scottish Seabird Centre
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Harry Huyton recently announced;
This week the UK Government awarded Berwick Bank with the public subsidy contract it needed to go ahead. It means that for decades to come we will all be subsidising this project and the devastating impact it is expected to have on seabirds. And neither the UK nor the Scottish Government seem to care. This makes me angry. Of course it does. But all is not lost. Only part of the development – about 1/3rd of it – has been given a subsidy so far, raising questions for the future. And their consent from the Scottish Government remains conditional on a “seabird compensation plan”, which we are yet to see. |
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| | | Images left to right: puffin, kittiwake and guillemot. |
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| | It was also encouraging that media coverage of this week’s announcement didn’t ignore the environmental catastrophe this development could cause. I used the interviews I gave to highlight the tens of thousands of seabirds – kittiwakes, guillemots, gannets, puffins and more – that are projected to be killed as a result of the decision. I was also pleased to join colleagues from other nature charities to meet the Deputy First Minister yesterday about Berwick Bank. Together, we set out the case as to why the Scottish Government should ditch its support for the project and back other lower impact projects instead. All of this helps keep the pressure on, and we will keep on campaigning for Scotland’s seabirds and to stop this development. If you’re not a member already, please consider joining us. Our members mean we can speak up for seabirds, and make work like this and our conservation and learning programmes possible. As a small charity that is trying to punch above its weight, your support really does make a difference. As usual, just reply to this email if you have any questions or thoughts you want to share with me and the team. Yours, Harry. Harry Huyton CEO, Scottish Seabird Centre
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