Latest news with #JimFairlie
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Don't use 'value-laden language' against seagulls...it might 'demonise' them, claims veteran SNP MSP
An MSP called for seagulls not to be 'demonised' after the Scottish government announced a summit to address serious concerns about the birds attacking people. Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie confirmed the move in a debate on the issue of gulls swooping on the public raised by both former Conservative leader Douglas Ross and SNP grandee Fergus Ewing. But the SNP's Christine Grahame said: 'Language such as 'mugging' and 'menace' can be applied to us, our counterparts, but it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food.' She claimed people should modify their own behaviour to tackle the problem and added: 'What we mustn't have is people versus gulls, or gulls versus people.' Mr Ross, a Highlands and Islands Tory MSP, told the chamber he has been 'inundated' with concerns about gulls from constituents, including a couple in the village of Hopeman who were 'worried about going out of their home'. Grahame, who has announced she will not stand in the 2026 Scottish parliament election, pointed members to a submission from the OneKind animal charity that urged them to avoid 'value-laden language' that described gulls as a 'menace or nuisance' and their behaviour as 'mugging' or 'dive-bombing'. Highlands and Islands MSP Mr Ross said: 'Well, I will say these gulls are a menace, they are dive-bombing and they are a problem.' Mr Ewing, who represents Inverness and Nairn, said a swooping gull could cause serious injury for an elderly person while their droppings can cause 'potentially lethal' illness in an infant. The minister said: 'There is absolutely no doubt - we've heard from members right across the chamber - that the people are being injured, they are being attacked and this is something that we have to deal with.' He said action needs to also be taken to find out if human behaviour is allowing gulls to 'thrive', including in urban areas as well as licences for dealing with the birds. Mr Fairlie said: 'I've already said that I will convene a summit in Inverness and we will look at the entire issue.' The power to hand out licenses to deal with birds is with NatureScot, a government-funded quango whose role includes conserving gull numbers as well as controlling them. Mr Fairlie said that licences can only be issued if there is a clear health and safety concern and not because the birds are regarded as a menace or nuisance. Mr Ewing asked if any analysis has been done by the Scottish Government or NatureScot about the health risks, and warned: 'I believe there has been no analysis whatsoever. If so, and there is a fatality, this Government will be held responsible for that fatality because they haven't looked into it.' Mr Ross said: 'In typical nationalist fashion Jim Fairlie believes that another talking shop will solve all these issues when he could take action right now.'
Sky News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Calls for Scotland-wide seagull summit amid warnings someone could be killed
Politicians have called for a Scotland-wide seagull summit to be held amid warnings someone could be killed. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross told the Scottish parliament during a debate on the issue that people risk losing their lives over the "growing problem" of "nuisance" gulls. Scots are being left "scared, attacked and traumatised", fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said as she called for a nationwide summit to tackle the issue. Ms Hamilton said "aggressive" seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, leaving one girl "with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face". Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland, but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole country is necessary. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP called for action on the "growing nuisance", which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Ms Hamilton said the debate was "important" as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish government, telling MSPs that "absolutely nothing" was getting done. "Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour," she said about her constituency in Eyemouth. She said one business owner had described the situation as "people being scared, attacked and traumatised". 'Extremely serious issue' Mr Ross said during the debate in Scottish parliament on Thursday, one day before summer recess, that people would often "smirk" when hearing that the Scottish Parliament was debating the problems around gulls - but he said it was an "extremely serious issue". The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they were worried about leaving their homes for fear of being "divebombed", while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: "The behaviour of the SNP's quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. "The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers." He added: "The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull." Jim Fairlie, the minister for agriculture, warned that the issue of gulls was "deadly serious", but said that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Calls for summit to tackle 'deadly' seagulls amid fears someone could be killed
MSPs warned that Scots risk losing their lives over the 'growing problem' of 'nuisance' gulls during a debate at Holyrood on Thursday. A Scotland-wide summit to tackle 'deadly' seagulls must be held amid warnings someone could be killed, the Scottish Parliament has heard. MSPs warned that Scots risk losing their lives over the 'growing problem' of 'nuisance' gulls during a debate at Holyrood on Thursday. One MSP said Scots are being left 'scared, attacked and traumatised'. But another said we should not "demonise" the animals. SNP Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland but was urged to extend it to the whole of the country. Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross - who called the debate - said lives were at risk. Fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said 'aggressive' seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, with one girl 'left with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face'. The Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP called for action on the 'growing nuisance', which she said posed a health and safety risk to residents. Despite rising complaints from locals, though, she said NatureScot's licensing system to control the birds was bureaucratic and failing to solve the issue. 'I think we need a summit,' she said. 'I don't think we just need a summit in Moray, we need a summit across Scotland.' Hamilton said the debate was 'important' as she criticised what she said was a lack of action from the Scottish Government. She told MSPs: 'Absolutely nothing is getting done. I don't believe the Government are listening to us because the issue continues in my constituency in Eyemouth. 'Aggressive seagull behaviour continues to cause a real concern amongst businesses, amongst tourists, amongst everybody that has anything to do along the harbour. 'And it is not just a seasonal nuisance. It is a serious, growing health risk. It's a safety risk, particularly for children and elderly residents.' She said one business owner had described the situation as 'people being scared, attacked and traumatised'. Opening the debate, Ross said people often 'smirk' when hearing that the Scottish Parliament is debating the problems around gulls – but he said it was an 'extremely serious issue'. The Highlands and Islands MSP said constituents have told him they are worried about leaving their homes for fear of being 'divebombed', while others have suffered mental health issues thanks to a lack of sleep caused by noisy gulls. One resident, he said, is spending £2,000 a year to remove nests from her home. 'People should not have to keep living in fear of being divebombed by these menaces on a daily basis, and are crying out for action,' he said. He accused NatureScot of having a conflict of interest as the body responsible for both the licensing to control birds and to conserve them. He went on: 'The behaviour of the SNP's quango NatureScot confirms they have lost the plot. They have told people to protect themselves with umbrellas and even suggested dogs as a deterrent. 'The time has come to break up NatureScot. There is a clear conflict of interest in the fact they are responsible for considering licences to control gulls but are also responsible for protecting bird numbers. 'If the minister cannot see that is a problem, then he is divorced from reality. 'The strength of the cross-party support in my debate today should be all the SNP government need to finally act before we see someone killed due to being attacked by a gull.' Agriculture minister Fairlie said that while people often 'chuckle and laugh' about the issue of gulls, he warned it was 'deadly serious'. But he told MSPs that he could not intervene on NatureScot to change the licensing system because it would leave the Government open to judicial review. He urged people to stop feeding the birds, which he said was the primary reason for the issue. The birds have been an increasingly common site in urban areas as they leave their natural habitat in search of food. He said: 'We have to work out what it is that is causing the issue in the first place. 'We are feeding them – it is quite simple. We are creating habitat, and we are creating feeding stations which are allowing gulls to inhabit our space, and that is now quite clearly coming into conflict.' He added: 'We have got to try and limit food waste and public littering. We have got to take away these feeding opportunities.' SNP MSP Christine Grahame warned against 'demonising' gulls, which she described as 'clever, adaptable' animals. 'Language such as 'mugging', 'menace' can be applied to us, our fellow counterparts,' she said, 'but it is not appropriate to demonise an animal simply looking for food. 'Anthropomorphising is tempting but not helpful.' NatureScot has been approached for comment.
Scotsman
20-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Celebrating the berry best of Scottish soft fruit
From juicy strawberries to plump blueberries, Scotland has a long and rich history of producing some of the world's most succulent soft fruit, with hundreds of farms up and down the country representing a growing and valuable part of our vibrant agricultural landscape. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... To champion and strengthen Scotland's nearly £198 million berry sector, Scotland Food & Drink, supported by the Scottish Government, is launching a brand-new celebration of Scottish-grown berries, encouraging shoppers, chefs, retailers and more to learn about the innovative industry, and add more delicious local fruit to their plates. Launched today, Friday, 20 June 2025, by Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, Jim Fairlie, at an exclusive event at The Royal Highland Show, the four-month Berries of Scotland campaign will spread awareness of the heritage and impact of Scotland's berry sector, which comprises fruit farms of all shapes and sizes spread out from the Highlands all the way down the east coast. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As well as showcasing tasty recipes and fascinating insights into the life of Scottish growers, Berries of Scotland will also bring together a curated map to show berry lovers where they can 'pick their own' at local farms around the country. Alexa King, age 10 and Erica King age 8 According to the Scottish Government's farm census, 1,000 hectares of farmland was dedicated to growing strawberries alone in 2024 – the equivalent of more than 1,200 football pitches – and Scotland has been the home of berry innovation for more than three quarters of a century, thanks to pioneering scientific developments at The James Hutton Institute. Experts from The James Hutton Institute – who attended the Berries of Scotland launch alongside growers from Castleton Farm and Angus Growers – have been breeding and trialing soft fruit for almost 75 years, including raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, currants, gooseberries, tayberries, and honeyberries. Over the decades, Hutton has developed more than 40 soft fruit varieties, including berries that are resilient to climate change or require low input, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides which makes them more sustainable. With the berry category now worth £197.8m in the Scottish retail market, growing both in value (+14.8%) and volume (+9.8%) in the last 52 weeks to May 2025 versus the previous year, now is the perfect time to celebrate the scientists, farmers and businesses who contribute to Scotland's rich berry heritage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Iain Baxter, Chief Executive at Scotland Food & Drink, said: 'Scotland's berries are some of the best available anywhere in the world and it's right that we celebrate and champion both them and the people who grow them. Alexa King, age 10 and Erica King age 8 'The Berries of Scotland campaign is about reconnecting consumers with our berry growers and encouraging consumers and buyers to choose Scottish. Research from The Knowledge Bank, our insights team, found that 42% of Scots would like to be able to buy Scottish strawberries and other soft fruits more often, so the demand is there. 'It's a tough environment for many of our Scottish farmers, including berry growers, and it's right that we all work together with the berry sector, as consumers and across our partnership – to support local growers and celebrate Scotland's world-class berries here at home but also in the UK market and key markets overseas.' Jim Fairlie, the Scottish Government's Minister for Agriculture and Connectivityattended the launch event at The Royal Highland Show, and said: 'As someone who grew up in Perthshire I spent all my school summer holidays picking berries, it was something we did as a family and our wider community. There was definitely that thing about us townies getting out into the country and seeing the food that was grown on our doorsteps make its way into our local shops and our houses. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That connection between town and country is brilliantly captured by the berry field stories right across Scotland. The launch of this berry campaign is about that heritage, the stories, those connections and a celebration of the history and science that has given Scotland its richly deserved reputation for the superb quality of our berries and the folk who grow and pick them. (L to R) Amanda Brown - Programme Director of Scotland Food & Drink, Jim Fairlie MSP and Eve Morton. 'This celebration is about bringing all of that together so that we have pride in our world class soft fruit sector and demonstrate that by making sure Scottish berries are a staple in our everyday diet, which helps our local economies our natural environment and of course, our own health. 'In collaboration with the many growers, the Scottish Government will help make sure this message goes out far and wide. I want this celebration of Scottish berries launched today to be the beginning of even greater success for the sector and an annual festival we grow, we anticipate and we enjoy as a nation.'
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ferry fares under review but no decision on RET, says minister
The Scottish government is reviewing west coast ferry fares, but insisted that no decisions have been made on the future of cheaper invests about £25m every year to reduce the cost of fares on CalMac crossings under a scheme called road equivalent tariff (RET).RET applies to both islanders and visitors, and is available on Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) - including the Western Isles, and if it could be scrapped for non-islanders, Connectivity Minister Jim Fairlie told BBC Naidheachdan that all options had to be "on the table and then ruled out one by one". He said fares were being looked at as part of a wider review of the resilience of CalMac's Fairlie added: "We are going to look at everything. There are no decisions made on anything at this stage." What is RET? RET is a distance-based fares structure and was introduced by the SNP on a trial basis in 2008 on routes to the Western Isles, Coll and was rolled out across the remaining CHFS routes by the Stornoway-Ullapool route, RET means a single fare for a foot passenger costs £12.30 and £66.75 for the scheme, they would cost £25.75 and £128.70, according to Transport said single fares on the Oban-Tiree route without RET would cost £22.60 for foot passengers and £135.60 for RET, they are £13.70 and £74.75. 'Supporting islanders' Mr Fairlie said the review would look at how more revenue could be raised to improve the resilience of CalMac's said: "I think people are wise enough to understand that governments have to look at every possible option."Mr Fairlie said the Scottish government was committed to supporting island Scotland said that, under the Islands Connectivity Plan, it was working towards implementing islander and non-islander fares across CHFS and Northern Isles networks. A spokesperson said: "No final decisions have been taken on the detail of this and there will be engagement with stakeholders in due course."
