We have joined Our Seas.scot
Over the winter we have continued to explore the plans we set out in 2022 for being a “better not bigger” company.
Learning more about ways to protect the area that we sail in and call home, was a key part of our decision to take on stewardship of this little business. Last winter we began our sponsorship of the Knoydart Forest Trust, donating each season to the tree-planting efforts on the Knoydart peninsula which aim to replenish the native woodland connecting Loch Nevis to Loch Horne.
This winter we have joined the efforts of the Our Seas Coalition.
#OurSeas is a joint campaign bringing together fishermen, scientists, sea anglers, marine tourism and coastal businesses, community organisations and environmental groups who are calling for a transformation in the way that our coastal seas are used and protected.
Our decision to join and participate in the coalition’s campaign comes from 4 summers of discussing with you, our guests onboard, how the seabed in our local area is managed. We want to learn more about its management and the challenges faced by fishing communities so that we can share the knowledge with you and make ethical decisions about the food we are providing onboard.
So far we have been so impressed by the level of technical information in the weekly round-up emails, the instructions on things we can do as a small business to have our voice heard and the passion of the people involved in this project.
The coalition now includes more than 130 organisations. The full list of organisations supporting its vision is listed here.
To learn more about the work that the coalition is doing please visit their website and have a look at the trailer below for the film they have made called “The Limit” below.
“In short, the ecosystems in our coastal waters are in bad shape. Globally seabird populations fell by 70% between 1950 and 2010, our coastal seagrass meadows have been reduced by 90%, native oyster reefs, which once covered vast areas of our seabed are now completely extinct around Scotland, white fish and herring stocks have crashed to commercial extinction. There are a huge range of pressures on our seas – climate change, pollution, overfishing – but one of the fundamental problems is chronic and persistent damage to the seabed.
Over a very short time, once-rich habitats that covered large areas of our coastal seabed, have been degraded or have simply disappeared. Just as peat bogs or Caledonian pine forests are essential for iconic species on land, these habitats are the foundation for ecosystems; they are breeding and nursery grounds for a vast array of marine life, including species of commercial importance. Damage to these habitats has had disastrous knock-on effects.” Our Seas.scot
It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful natural environment than the inshore waters of the West Coast of Scotland. As providers of sailing experiences and a business with the ability to make informed decisions about the food that we buy, we feel that it is our responsibility to learn as much as possible about the way that these fisheries are managed.
