Farming: Leading the fight againt threat of river pollution

Scottish farmers will lead the fight in tackling the pollution of Scotland's watercourses with plans being made by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to highlight where problems are being created.

Although nationally Scotland is leading the way in Europe in dealing with diffuse pollution, there is still a recognition that more can be done, with SEPA chief executive Campbell Gemmell describing it as "one of the biggest environmental challenges facing rural land managers".

Stephen Field, land manager with SEPA, said the agency had identified 14 of the main catchment areas in Scotland where there was the greatest risk of diffuse pollution.

In the west, they include, the Ayrshire coastal area, along with the rivers of Ayr, Doon, Garnock and Irvine. In the south-west the coastal areas of Galloway and Stewartry are included. In the Borders, the Eye and, moving north, the rivers Tay, South Esk, Dee, Ugie and Deveron also including the Buchan coastal area.

It is estimated that some 4,000 farmers will be involved but Field was quick to point out that all other land users, including local authorities, golf courses and equestrian centres, will also come under the increased surveillance.

"There is nothing for farmers to fear about this. If they are already complying with the code of good agricultural practice they should be all right."

However, in preliminary work, which involved SEPA staff walking more than 2,400 kilometres of river bank and shore line, some 2,572 examples of diffuse pollution were picked up.

These covered a wide range of issues including the storage and application of fertilisers too close to the water edge, permitting livestock into rivers and streams, the cultivation of land too close to the water's edge and the application of pesticides.

Against that there were also many examples of good practice with buffer strips being created between rivers and the fields nearby.

The problems were picked up as a result of physical samples being taken where breaches were suspected. The landowners concerned have been informed but no action will be taken in this initial transgression.

Field said a series of information meetings would be held, under the chairmanship of NFUS, the Scottish Tenant Farmers Association or the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, all organisations who have been working on delivering Scotland's diffuse pollution programme.

Angus McCall of the STFA welcomed the agency's tactic of using the carrot rather than the stick, in encouraging farmers to understand the causes of diffuse pollution and what measures they can take to help mitigate it.Field emphasised that initially the emphasis of the programme will be based on raising awareness and education on what is permissible and what is not.

While the initial attention will be focused on the 14 areas listed above with a planned completion date of 2015. SEPA will then move to the second phase of the operation taking in less threatened watercourses with that phase due to be completed by 2021. A third phase will complete the work in Scotland but it is not due to be completed until 2027.