An ceist mhòr a tha mu choinneimh na sgìrean dùthchail, le Murray MacLeòid

Ma tha duine sam bith airson tuigse nas fheàrr a bhith aca air an t-suidheachadh a tha ma choinneamh sgìrean dùthchail na h-Alba – ‘s e sin ceist na h-àrainneachd agus ciamar as urrainn bi-beò a chumail ri daoine agus coimhearsnachdan – cha dèigheadh iad fada ceàrr le bhith a’ toirt sùil air Comataidh nan Eilean agus Cùisean Dùthchail ann am Pàrlamaid na h-Alba an t-seachdain a chaidh.

Nochd Ceit Rowell, cathraiche Inbhe Bidhe na h-Alba, air beulaibh na comataidh

[English-language version below]

Tha uallach air a’ bhuidhinn seo fianais a chruinneachadh mu choinneamh Bile an Àiteachais, a dhearbhas mar a thig taic-airgid a chumail ri tuathanaich is croitearan san àm ri teachd, le làn dùil gum feumar barrachd a dhèanamh a thaobh na h-àrainneachd.

Chan eil mòran ceàrr air an amas, no air a’ phionnsabal gum feum cùisean atharrachadh, ach ‘s e dè thig às aig a’ cheann thall a tha cudromach agus cò air a thèid cuideam a chur.

A-measg nan eòlaichean a bha a’ toirt seachad fianais an t-seachdain a chaidh, bha Ceit Rowell, cathraiche Inbhe Bidhe na h-Alba, a tha air a mhaoineachadh le Riaghaltas na h-Alba agus a tha an sàs ann a bhith margaidheachd feòil na h-Alba.

Dh’fhaighnich a’ chomataidh dhi gu sònraichte mu dheidhinn Comataidh Atharrachadh na Gnàth-shìde – buidheann de dh’eòlaichean saidheans a tha a’ toirt comhairle dhan riaghaltas – agus a thuirt gum feumar gearradh sìos air feòil dhearg ma thathas idir a’ dol a choileanadh targaidean air an àrainneachd.

Rinn i cinnteach nach robh i gan càineadh gu follaiseach, ag ràdh gun robh an obair fhèin aca ri dhèanamh, ach nach robh anns na molaidhean aca ach “àireamhan air pìos pàipeir” agus gum feumadh ise, agus an luchd-poileataigs, dèiligeadh ri rud gu math nas motha na sin, “beatha dhaoine, an cosnaidhean agus gnìomhachasan”.

Chan eil sin ri ràdh, mar a thuirt Ceit Rowell, nach eil càil ri dhèanamh. Fada bhuaithe. Thuirt i gu bheil an gnìomhachas air mòran a dhèanamh airson truailleadh a ghearradh – agus dùil ri barrachd – ach nach eil an saidheans air cuid a’ ghnothaichean buileach soiller, m.e methane

“Feumaidh sinn dèanamh cinnteach nach eil sinn a’ dol ro fhada sìos aon shlighe ro luath stèidhichte air aon bheachd ann an saidheans a dh’fhaodadh a bhith ceàrr.”

Ach, ‘s e mar a bhruidhinn i air an crìonadh ann an àireamhan a bu chudromaiche buileach.

“Tha luach £706 millean ann an caoraich is crodh ann an Sgìrean Fho-leasaichte (LFA) na h-Alba, mu chairteal dheth na tha sinn a’ dèanamh ann an tuathanas gu lèir,” thuirt i

“A’ coimhead air litir na comataidh, tha iad ag ràdh: ‘Dìochuimhnich mu dheidhinn a h-uile càil a tha sin: amas air na h-àitichean is todhraiche agus cur craobhan anns a’ chòrr.

“‘S e figear mòr a tha anns an luach, ach feumaidh sinn cuideachd cuimhneachadh g’eil seo a’ bualadh air daoine. Tha daoine anns na glinn is a-muigh anns na h-eileanan air a bheil structar farsaing a’ crochadh.

“Tha luchd-reic bidhe, lìghichean sprèidhe, feansairean agus a h-uile duine eile a tha an urra ris na gnìomhachasan sin. Ma dh’fhalbhas na croitearan is na tuathanaich, falbhaidh a h-uile duine a tha sin cuideachd, agus dè tha iad air fhàgail?

“Tha thu a’ bruidhinn mu choimhearsnachdan gu lèir a’ dol à bith. Tha sinne ag ràdh gu làidir nach e sin idir an t-slighe a bu chòir a ghabhail.”

Tha eòlaichean eile a nochd air beulaibh na comataidh air an aon t-seòrsa rud a ràdh. As bith an èist an luchd-poileataigs riutha, ‘s e a tha sin ach rud gu tur eile.

English-language version:

Anyone wishing to properly understand the real quandary facing Scotland’s rural hinterland – ie, the balance between conservation and ensuring economic activity that can sustain a population – could do a lot worse than peruse the exchanges of last week’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee in the Scottish Parliament. The MSPs on that particular forum have been charged with gathering evidence on the proposed Agriculture Bill, which will devise a new framework of financial support for Scotland’s farmers and crofters, with the clear expectation of measures that will boost biodiversity and environmental protection.

So far, so not very controversial, but the devil, as always, will be in detail, and where any particular weighting will fall. One of the latest experts to appear before the committee was Kate Rowell, chair of Quality Meat Scotland, the promotional body which is funded by the Scottish Government and industry levies and for whom membership means following the highest standards of welfare and practice.

Ms Rowell was particularly asked about the recommendation by the Climate Change Committee – the statutory group of scientific advisers who inform government on climate targets – that red meat consumption has to be reduced if net zero targets are to be met. She steadfastly avoided any direct criticism, saying they had their job to do, but that their conclusions were “numbers on a spreadsheet” whereas people like herself and, crucially, politicians have to “deal with people’s real lives, their livelihoods and their businesses”.

But that’s not to say, as Ms Rowell was quick to point out, that nothing should be done. Far from it. She said the sector has already done a lot of work on reducing emissions – and expects to do a lot more – but that the science was far from “clear cut” on certain matters, such as methane. “Cattle and sheep from the LFA (less favoured area) parts of Scotland account for £706 million of output, which is 26.5 per cent of the whole output of Scottish agriculture – one quarter of everything we do in Scotland agriculture-wise,” she told the committee. “From looking at the CCC letter, it appears that it is saying, ‘Forget about all of that; focus on the bits that produce lots of things and grow trees elsewhere’.

“It is a huge headline figure, but we must also consider the number of people on the ground that it applies to. There are people up in the glens and out on islands, and there is the whole infrastructure associated with them. There are all the people who feed into that: feed merchants, vets, fencers and every single person who relies on those businesses to exist. If the farm and croft businesses go, and then all those associated people go, what do you have left? You are talking about the complete depopulation of some of those areas. We argue incredibly strongly that that is absolutely not the way that we want to go.”

Ms Rowell’s argument has been repeated by others who have appeared in front of the committee. Whether MSPs – and, crucially, the government – heed their advice very much remains to be seen.