Dear Community Council Conveners and Secretaries
I write to inform you about a new publication from SIFT: _Seaweed
Cultivation in Scotland - A guide for community participation in seaweed
farm applications. _The guide is intended for coastal communities and
other stakeholders who wish to better understand, and engage in, the
application process for new seaweed farms in Scottish coastal waters. It
is now available to download from SIFT's website
SIFT-Seaweed-Guide.pdf [1] .
Seaweed cultivation is a growing industry around the world. SIFT
strongly believes that with effective regulation this new industry can
play a positive role in Scotland's coastal economy. We also believe
that it is vital that coastal communities play a full part in the
development of the industry. They will be best able to do so by
understanding what the industry involves.
So we have published the guide to provide an overview of the potential
impacts of seaweed cultivation in Scotland, how those impacts are
managed through the regulatory process, and how communities can
participate in that process.
We hope the guide will empower local communities so that they can exert
greater influence over how their local sea areas are managed. With
greater mutual understanding, seaweed cultivation should have greater
'social licence', and the industry and other stakeholders should be
able to co-exist more harmoniously.
Yours sincerely
Charles Millar
Executive Director
Sustainable Inshore Fisheries Trust
5 Rose Street
Edinburgh
EH2 2PR
Registered Scottish Charity No. SC042334
Scottish Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee 399582