Hansard

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I do not know quite how to follow that, but I hope that I can do the debate justice.

First, as other members have done, I thank John Mason for shining a light on this important initiative, and I thank Scottish Environment LINK for its work in developing the initiative and for all the support that it provides to MSPs.

I am delighted to take part in this debate on the nature champions initiative, first, to hear about all the great work that is being done by MSPs across the chamber and, secondly, because I genuinely love these debates.

I am also delighted to be covering the debate for Gillian Martin, who would have loved to be here—not least so that I can reflect on one of the most memorable contributions to our nature champions debates in previous years, which was, in fact, hers. She shed light on her early days as a goth and said how apt it was for her to be the champion for the yew tree. I could not quite remember when that contribution was made, but it turns out that it was in 2017 during my members’ business debate.

At that time, I was the species champion for the hen harrier. As I said then, I really did not know what I was letting myself in for, but it turned out to be an incredible experience. As others have described in relation to the species that they champion, the experience really opened my eyes and brought my focus to that vital species. It took me right across Scotland—through the marshes and up the hills—and, fortunately, I got to experience that incredible bird up close.

Another stand-out contribution to the debate in 2017 was from Christine Grahame. As ever, she did not disappoint today. She was similarly dramatic in 2017, although the drama then was in relation to the house sparrow rather than the golden eagle.

Turning to other contributions, I note that John Mason said that some species for which MSPs are nature champions could potentially predate others, but Graham Simpson might have described the first example of a cross-party killing of one of the species. I hope that he has been able to provide some reparations for the damage that he and others in the chamber have clearly done to that species.

Our discussion is really timely, given that, as Sarah Boyack mentioned, just two weeks ago, the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill successfully passed stage 3. That was a real milestone in our commitment to restoring and regenerating the nature of Scotland. As everybody here will be aware, that groundbreaking legislation requires us, for the first time, to set statutory targets for nature. Such targets will form a central part of our strategic framework for biodiversity and, crucially, will ensure clear accountability and co-ordinated action across the Government.

As the nature champions initiative demonstrates, we need to take action to protect our precious species and habitats. Just last year, we launched our first nature 30 sites, which is a key step in delivering our commitment to protect 30 per cent of our land and seas for nature by 2030. Four pioneering sites have now been recognised across Scotland—Loch Arkaig pine forest, the Findhorn hinterland, Loch Wood and Knapdale—and they will play a vital role in promoting ecological restoration and management at scale in Scotland.

We are also investing in our nature, and members have heard about the importance of financing critical initiatives for our species. The groundbreaking nature restoration fund has already invested more than £65 million in projects across Scotland. The fund is delivering a real impact and supports a wide range of innovative projects across Scotland.

Among the already successful initiatives is the Highland amphibians reptile project, which has boosted the survival rate of the Highland great crested newt from 2 per cent to 13 per cent. That breeding success enabled the translocation of the United Kingdom’s rarest newts, which is thought to be a first in Europe. I hope that Fulton MacGregor, who is the nature champion for the great crested newt, will be delighted to hear that.

Across Scotland, we are restoring nature and iconic species, not as a Government acting alone, but by working hand in hand with communities, land managers and conservation partners. Our work to protect red squirrels, which Alexander Burnett mentioned, demonstrates the power of partnership. He highlighted the vital saving Scotland’s red squirrels programme, which involves Government, volunteers and landowners working together to control grey squirrels, limit the spread of squirrel pox and safeguard one of our most iconic native mammals.

Lorna Slater and Christine Grahame highlighted golden eagles. The return of golden eagles to the south of Scotland is one of our most inspiring success stories. So much vital work has taken place on that, and it is great to see that success.

Of course, the debate is not just about our terrestrial species—we have had contributions from various members on our marine species. David Torrance mentioned seagrass, Douglas Ross talked about the bottlenose dolphin and Beatrice Wishart mentioned the orca. I welcome Finlay Carson’s focus on native oysters, and the fact that he highlighted the Stranraer oyster festival. I have been able to see at first hand some of the work that has gone into supporting the species, as well as enjoying the product of that work later on at the oyster festival, which is a fantastic experience. I encourage members to visit it if they get the opportunity.

We also had an important contribution from Edward Mountain, who focused on the pressures that our iconic wild salmon face. As I set out in a response earlier today, a number of pieces of work are under way to try to address the pressures, of which we know there are a number, that are impacting on that iconic species.

Although we are making progress, there is clearly still much to be done. Now more than ever, it is important that we keep the nature agenda firmly in the spotlight. There is still work to do to raise its profile, to strengthen wider understanding and to ensure that nature remains at the heart of our national priorities. I welcome the discussion and the spotlight that the nature champions initiative puts on our biodiversity and iconic species in Scotland. Although I will not be a member in the next session of Parliament, I hope, like other members, that the initiative will continue in the next session with a new set of parliamentarians who are willing to support these precious species and habitats.