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Report
of Comments made at Benbecula Public Meeting
How
the evening worked
The first of two local public consultation meetings was held in
Benbecula on 31st October 2001. After presentations by National
Trust for Scotland staff, attendees (about 40 people) sat at small
tables, where they were encouraged to discuss their thoughts on
St Kilda with those sat with them - and record them on forms provided
. At the end of the evening, the forms were then posted on walls
and attendees took time to read other people's ideas and show support
by voting with sticky dots - 5 each. This has enabled us to get
a sense of how many people share any given point of view and also
to assess the weight of opinion.
"What
is important about St Kilda?"
We asked participants to tell us what they think are the key features
that make St Kilda important. These are the features that were mentioned
most often:
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The
unique human history/story of the St Kildans |
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The
relationship between the St Kildan population and the natural
environment - the remains of man's struggle to survive in this
landscape |
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The
underwater environment - unique features and ability to see
them when diving due to the clear water |
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The
islands' star quality - an intangible sense of mystique and
a valuing of their rare and unspoilt qualities |
Other features
were singled out as important, e.g. the dramatic landscape of the
archipelago, the built remains around the islands and the internationally
important natural heritage interest of the site (specific mentions
were given to geology, flora and fauna - e.g. birds, mouse, sheep,
seabirds).
"Are
there any issues to address in the future management of St Kilda?"
We also asked participants to tell us what issues need to be addressed
in the management of St Kilda. These are the issues that were mentioned
most often:
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We
received a strong message from participants of a desire for
more interpretation about St Kilda on the Western Isles - e.g.
using existing centres across the Hebrides to tell the St Kilda
story; using video-links or web cams to give people a remote
visit experience; making more use of Gaelic in written and personal
interpretation; and exploring St Kilda's place in the wider
Gaelic tradition. |
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Many
also expressed a wish to see more opportunities for people from
the Western Isles to visit St Kilda and hoped that the Trust
could provide these. |
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The
underwater environment - unique features and ability to see
them when diving due to the clear waterThe introduction of alien
species or disease to the islands was seen by a good number
of people as one of the key potential threats to St Kilda. More
than one person expressed the view that "prevention is
better than cure" and an awareness campaign was suggested
to ensure that everyone is aware of prevention measures and
their importance. Another suggestion was the creation of a gene
bank for indigenous races in case of disaster. |
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One
person suggested that the Soay sheep should be regarded as a
domestic species maintained on land owned by the Trust, who
should therefore be responsible for their welfare and seek to
actively manage the flock with this in mind. Most other participants
argued for the maintenance of the current approach - that the
sheep have been wild for the last 70 years, are not managed:
this allows their unique genetic integrity to be preserved,
which naturally regulates disease and population. |
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The
threat of oil spillage from increased tanker traffic was also
seen as a key potential threat to the islands. |
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