Farming 2001

Good news: things can only get better for farmers. Bad news: relief is probably many months away. The latest disaster (Foot and Mouth) hard on the heels of BSE, may destabilise the entire farming industry in the EU, much to the delight of US interests. Coll's remoteness is no longer an advantage. If anything, the long reach of international agreements and obligations (of all shapes and sizes) is having a disproportionately negative effect on small rural communities in the Highlands and Islands.

If any good does come out of this decade of disasters, it may be a re-appraisal of farming and farmers, a return to a more traditional interpretation of what we do and why. The public has now learned that we have no real control over food production standards in other countries, even those in the EU, and that we should source our food from the UK.

But does the general public think that islands like Coll have a role to play in food production or should they be given over to environmental schemes? Should the Argyll islands be made into an Island National Park? No doubt all this is being discussed in some quarters but how much support would it have at "grass roots" level? With the spread of delightful killers like mink throughout the Long Island and on large islands like Islay, Mull and Skye, Coll and Tiree will probably be more successful at preserving small birds than others. But whether the wildlife management methods here will be useful elsewhere is doubtful. The mainland abounds with foxes, pine marten, mink, raptors and - a recent acquisition in this area - a puma. Wolves may follow. What chance does wildlife have against that lot?!

Other changes are taking place. The old UK Hill Farming allowance has switched from a per head to a per hectare payment. Most producers on the poorest quality land will get less support unless the scheme is modified. The need to use hardy hill breeds of sheep and cattle has also been swept away - a backward step. Despite its smaller size and the reluctance of supermarkets to buy it, the Blackface sheep, when reared under extensive systems without feed supplements of any kind, is "sustainable farming" personified. Support for this system must be built into the new scheme which would benefit producers on the poorest land, where Blackface sheep are generally found.

For the first time, farmed goats and deer are eligible for inclusion. It would be interesting to see deer return to Coll. I say return because the place name, "Eilleraig", suggests that there were once deer on the island. It denotes a place where deer were driven, to be killed in the old way. Where the word occurs on the mainland it applies to a narrow gully usually ending in a steep rock face where deer could be trapped.

An interesting development has taken place in the English High Court. On 13th December 2000, UK planning law was deemed incompatible with the European Convention of Human Rights; it was argued that the government cannot be both policy maker and appeal judge. In the words of one commentator, the ruling "is a complete reversal of the post-war settlement, when we put our faith in elected politicians and incorruptible civil servants".

This ruling, if it sticks, may have implications for SSSI and SAC/SPA legislation and the role of Scottish Natural Heritage as both designator of sites and judge of objections on behalf of government. Prime examples of this were the designations of the two SPAs on Coll by SNH who then went on to judge the objections and, in both cases, to overrule them.

Lack of an underlying SSSI designation on the Coll Corncrake SPA also meant that objectors were denied access to the independent Scientific Advisor Committee who might have given the Minister for Environment different advice. This is a basic human rights issue of the sort which may, in time, lead to a reduction in the power of local authority planners, environmental planners and politicians over property of all shapes and sizes. Something to look forward to!

C. M., Glen Gloy, 6-3-2001