Welcome to issue two of ForthRight, in which we focus primarily on biodiversity and recreation, with fascinating contributions from Restoration Forth and the Forth Yacht Clubs Association.

Thanks for the positive feedback to issue one (March 2024), and please do email me if you have any comments or suggestions. Also, if you emailed me shortly after receiving issue one and did not receive a reply, could you please re-send as there was an issue with my new Forth Estuary Forum inbox. And finally, if you missed that first issue (featuring NatureScot, the Royal Yachting Association Scotland and the RSPB) you can read it here.

Fraser Allen
Communications Lead, Forth Estuary Forum
[email protected]

Seagrass – and the return of the oysters

“It always feels celebratory when we get the seagrass or the oysters into the sea because there's so much work leading up to it.” Naomi Arnold and Lyndsey Dodds from WWF explain the fascinating work of the Restoration Forth project in restoring around four hectares of seagrass to the Forth estuary coast by the end of 2024 – as well as 30,000 native oysters.”

A single hectare of seagrass can provide a thriving habitat for 80,000 fish and 100 million invertebrates. Healthy seagrass meadows are also a valuable ally in the climate crisis because they absorb carbon dioxide from the water through photosynthesis.

Developing a new oyster reef in the estuary will provide another important habitat for fish, crabs, sea snails and sponges. And because oysters filter and improve water clarity, more light can penetrate through to the seabed, allowing plants such as seagrass to photosynthesise and grow. Full story here.

The evolution of the Forth

As Andy Carnduff hands over the external liaison role at the Forth Yacht Clubs Association to Anne Shedden, the pair talk to us about their hopes and ambitions for the Forth – including a better boating link between East and West of Scotland through the Forth and Clyde Canal.

“The canal closed to navigation in the 1960s but reopened in 2001 through National Lottery and other funding,” says Andy. “However, it still hasn’t been dredged to the agreed depth. When the canal was working, it carried ocean-going ships that commuted between the Atlantic and the Baltic. Today, the Forth should be one of the conduits to the West Coast for small boats coming from Europe. They currently must use the Caledonian Canal, or occasionally, the Pentland. The idea of sailing through the Central Belt of Scotland is something we should be marketing, but we can't because the canal is not good enough. It’s a missed opportunity.” Full story here.

In case you missed it…

The Marine Directorate published guidance on grant provisions under the Marine Fund Scotland 2024-25 on 28 March – but any interested parties need to move fast as the deadline for applications is 9 May 2024. The fund is focused on supporting projects that deliver outcomes relating to Scotland’s Blue Economy Vision, published in March 2022, and the guidance offers information on:
•The outcomes the Marine Fund Scotland aims to deliver.
•The types of projects that can and cannot be funded.
•How to apply.
•What information you need to apply.
•How applications will be assessed.
Scottish Government

The RNLI celebrated its 200th anniversary with a service at Glasgow Cathedral on 10 March, almost two centuries to the day that the organisation was founded in a London tavern. During that time, RNLI lifeboats in Scotland have been launched 45,853 times, saving 11,878 lives. In terms of the Firth of Forth, there are RNLI stations at Anstruther, Kinghorn, Queensferry, North Berwick, Dunbar and Eyemouth – and crowds lined the harbour at Anstruther on 14 April to cheer the arrival of the town’s new £2.5m lifeboat. You can discover more about the anniversary celebrations across the UK at the link below.
RNLI

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier and fleet flagship, has been visiting Rosyth Dockyard for repairs – in particular relating to issues with its starboard propeller coupling. The fault led to the 65,000-tonne warship having to be withdrawn at short notice from Steadfast Defender – NATO’s largest military exercise since the Cold War. The ship, which also suffered damage from an onboard fire in early March, passed beneath the Forth Road Bridge on 21 March.
Herald

One of the more eccentric examples of wildlife in the Firth of Forth popped up in several national newspapers recently with coverage of ‘Gnome Island’. The stories referred to the garden gnomes that began appearing on Swallow Craig, just off Inchcolm island, in 2010 – with population numbers apparently growing since then. Despite rumours that the gnomes are escapees from a garden centre, they are believed to have been placed there by mischievous seafarers.
Daily Express

© Forth Estuary Forum 2024
www.forthestuaryforum.co.uk
Registered address: Quartermile Two, 2 Lister Square, Edinburgh EH3 9GL
Scottish Charity Reg. No. SC027467
Scottish Company Reg. No. SC175839