By Bernie Bell
Having read this item in TON https://theorkneynews.scot/2022/02/16/scapa-flow-and-north-orkney-designated-marine-special-protection-areas/, someone sent me an email telling of his own experience of the kind of intimidation which conservationists can encounter when faced with the Money Men of this world, and referring to the experiences of a conservation scientist who tried to raise the alarm about seabird deaths in the Falklands Islands and was subjected to all kinds of harassment, including false arrests and threats of imprisonment and deportation.
Here are links to the relevant stories ……..
http://falklands.net/InTheNewspapers.shtml
My correspondent is currently reading Mike Bingham’s book “The Falklands Regime” (Authorhouse, 2005) which tells the story of what happened to wildlife in the Falkland Islands and what happened to him when he was hired to investigate this, which would be unbelievable were it not that conservationists have repeatedly encountered this kind of intimidation all over the world.
Dr. Bingham has since had court judgments in his favour, and my correspondent feels that a case might be made for highlighting his story and saying, “This is not what we want to happen here.”
To be fair, I don’t see this kind of intimidation happening here in Orkney! But I agreed that it might be worth mentioning this kind of issue, considering the secrecy which surrounds so much of OIC’s decision making.
As my correspondent said – just a thought.
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I agree with your comments but am not so sanguine that it doesn’t apply here. I still remember
Incidents in the seventies when effigies of conservationists were left hanging from roadsigns
and feel that a deep current of distrust still persists which polarises debate and cooperation.
Co-incidentally, my issue of the The Scottish Coastal Communities Network Newsletter arrived today and you may care to have a peek (link below). As far as I know only one (1)Orkney community based group belongs- The Skate Trust- which does excellent work but there should be more, far more. It’s ironic that an Orkney
Hatchery has supplied Oyster spat to community groups up and down the west coast
but none here!
I recognised your picture. It’s an old nineteenth century gun emplacement near Skaildaquoy Point, Holm which was “manned” by a local militia,
the Holm volunteers. Although its on a coastal path there are sadly no signs to say anything of its purpose and history.
Eoin
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https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzGmvLMFCRwjcdkXzznnZQKQZTld
Thanks for the various pieces of information, Eoin. So much gets lost and forgotten about various aspects of the past.
We’ve done that walk many times……
https://theorkneynews.scot/2020/09/27/st-marys-walk/
…and just thought that was an exceptionally uniform lump of rock. I’ll add your information to the article about the walk.
I’ll also send this on to Andy Hollinrake and Ian Collins who have an interest in the marks of war left on the landscape.
https://www.otga.co.uk/andrew-hollinrake
https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/02/14/not-just-concreteelegance-beauty-and-the-unexpected-in-orkneys-wartime-remains/
And here are another couple of old volunteer batteries….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2022/01/19/stromness-rocks/
Re. Conservation vs. Money……there’s what could happen to Faray……
https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/10/25/just-a-reminder/