Meeting of the Parliament 08 November 2016
I thank Scottish Environment LINK and the Marine Conservation Society for introducing me to my species. I am delighted to have the opportunity to talk tonight about the amazing flame shell. It is a beautiful scallop-like creature with lots of bright orange tentacles appearing between its two shells. It might look as if it belongs in tropical seas, but it lives off the west coast of Scotland and is a vital component of the marine ecosystem there.
What is so special about the flame shell? Few of us will ever see it in its natural habitat. It lives almost completely hidden on the seabed inside nests that are built up from shells, stones and other materials around them. The flame shell reefs are good hunting grounds for juvenile cod and haddock, and offer good attachment for scallop spat. Protecting flame shell beds helps to protect hundreds of other species and supports important nursery and feeding areas for commercial species.
Conservation of flame shell beds and other priority marine features makes commercial as well as ecological sense. Because flame shells are recognised as such an important habitat-forming species, the new marine protected areas protect them from trawling and dredging. MPAs have been welcomed in my community, but we recognise the need to have a marine monitoring strategy, to make sure that the protection is working and to demonstrate the wider benefits.
As Graeme Dey said, during the October recess, I tried out Scotland’s first snorkel trail, in Clachtoll in Sutherland. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has put together welcome guidance to help visitors explore our coastline, which is bursting with marine life. I did not manage to see a flame shell, but swimming in crystal-clear waters with white sands and turquoise seas was hardly a disappointment, and I saw plenty of crabs, flounders and pollock among the sea kelp. Members might think that October is not the best time of year for snorkelling in Scotland, but I had a good wetsuit, the sun was out and, in autumn, the water is a wee bit warmer, as there is just a wee bit less melted snow flowing into the sea than there is earlier in the year.
Growing up on the west coast, on the shores of Loch Broom—where, I must add, there is a healthy population of flame shells—it was blatantly obvious that our lives and our livelihoods were inextricably linked to the sea. Good stewardship of that fragile ecosystem is vital for human survival in the north-west Highlands. Conservation, tourism, fishing and seafood are all critical elements of life, work and culture in the north-west. I invite all members to come and see the area for themselves.
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