Our Great Marine ECO Asset. Don't Let Corrupt European Union Interests Ruin It Forever

News from the Celtic League:

Whale watching is a growing eco-tourism asset globally and in recent years its potential has been recognised around the shores of these Islands.

Mann has had its basking shark project for many years and more recently Ireland has been actively promoting its so called ‘Atlantic Way’ project down the West coast from Donegal to Kerry an interaction of tourism, the stunning coastline and marine life.

In Scotland to various groups are studying or promoting marine study/tourism involving cetaceans and recently whale watchers there had a pleasant surprise.

An Orca pod, regular visitors from Iceland at this time of year turned up again and ‘brought the family’ in the shape of an Orca calf (see link):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/…/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-363304…

However as we have recorded both the areas of North and West Scotland are the hunting ground of a different type of man made predator, the super-trawler, and both areas risk devastation of the fish stocks which maintain a balance for species such as cetaceans and dolphins.

Additionally the vast nets of the monster-trawlers make short work of immature whales like the Orca calf mentioned above and Dolphins often caught with the primary catch and then simply their carcasses discarded.

Urgent action is needed to get these vessels out of waters around the British Isles and in the longer term they must be decommissioned completely.

It would be a sad day if having realised the eco-strength and potential of our marine environment we allowed rapacious fishing interests and their corruption which goes to the heart of the EU to wreck it for future generations.

Image: Orca calf photographed off Caithness

BERNARD MOFFATT

Issued by: The Manx branch of the Celtic League

TEL: 01624 877918 or 07624 491609

20/05/16

THE CELTIC LEAGUE

The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries including our own Mannin branch. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues

The link for the main web pages is below:

http://celticleague.net