July 4th-7th 2008. VISIT OF ROYAL HIGHLAND YACHT CLUB.

Every two years, this Yacht Club organises a "sail in company" with stops at various sites and a gathering at a selected haven. For 2008, the chosen destination is Lochmaddy and Comann na Mara extend their welcome, on behalf of North Uist.

YACHTS EXPECTED.

Sulasgeir…….….Colin and Jay Whimster.

Borealis……..……David and Moira Vass.

Stardust………….Tony and Rosemary Irwin.

Aramanth…….…..Hugh Henderson.

Ailsa Bhan………..Bill and Francis Shaw

Kijana…………….Iain and Pat Simpson

Strolla…………….John and Jane Macinnes

Argo Navis . . ……Ann and Robert Clement (Rear Commodore)

Gaeldom…. .…….Roy and Elizabeth Tait ( Commodore)

Stralsund……..….Irene and Maitland Murray (Vice Commodore)

Take Five……...…Clive and Norma Wood

Talada…….. ...….John and Margaret Burnett

Goldilass….. ...….Peter and Dot Dahl and son Bluebell…. .. ...…..Robert Harrington (Treasurer)

Kestra……… . .….Jean and Iain Nicolson (Secretary)

Ailona……… ...….Ian Watt

Uisge Ban………....Roger and Ursula Parry

Rega………….…...Richard Blair

Ballerina……….…Roger and June Rhodes

Bandit…………..…Ken and Anne Gumley

Westering Home….Robin and Sheila Maclean

Tilty Too…………..Donald Smith

Stravaig……………Charlie and Vera McPherson

Zanzara……………Nevin Blackwood

Tigerfire…………..Robert Corbett

Viking……………..Richard Fresson

Whimbrel…………P.G.Mitchell and Irene Hodge

Ruantallain……….Duncan and Mary Shaw

CNM was featured on BBC 2 Gaelic (with sub titles) at 7.00 pm on Thursday 13th December in the series "Air Bharr Nan Tonn". Norman Johnson was interviewed by Media nan Eilean afloat in "Sula". As well as rewporting on the current activity and aims of CNM, the crew filmed the Lochmaddy Bay giant Sea Eagles soaring over and swooping down to pick up fish that had been thrown out. You can see still photos of this and read about the birds at www.countrydoctor.co.uk. It was a breezy but sunny day and they were also able to film spectacular waves breaking on the point of the Madadh Mor.

As awareness of CNM extends, our opinion is sometimes sought on aspects of Lochmaddy Bay and the latest was from a major yachting club wondering if the Bay and village could cope with a "muster" of about 30 yachts. We hope this does happen as it would bring a fair amount of income to the village and be an excellent advertisement for such a safe haven.

Students…Runrig Scholarship. The proposal for 2007 did not develop but some of the fund is being used to produce an exhibition poster about CNM. For 2008, negotiations have opened with a student from Aberdeen University.

Lochmaddy Bay SAC annual forum. This annual gathering of representatives of Bay "stakeholders" was recently hosted by Western Isles Enterprise who provided Archie Prentice as the speaker for the public meeting. There are 34 marine Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland but Lochmaddy Bay is the only one to have spawned a supportive group which is CNM who take an active and positive role in the discussions at the annual management group meeting.

Web Site. www.comann-na-mara.org is kept up to date on a six week schedule and the number of "hits" has doubled recently. Please visit the site, occasionally, and keep up with our progress.

Aquarium tank. Since early summer 2006, we have maintained a small aquarium tank in Taigh Chearsabhagh and it attracts a lot of interest. "Rory" the small Lobster is the main resident and he has now cast his shell twice. We have been able to salvage the discarded shells and they are also on display so you can see how he has grown.

Membership. 164 local people have signed up as members but we are keen to have more as this can be important as we start to delve into the complex tangle of funding sources. If you would like to become a local supporter then please write or e mail me a note of your name and address and you will be added to the list. There is no commitment on you other than being a named supporter.

The 2007 Comann na Mara Lecture was held on Tuesday 10th July at Lochmaddy Hall.

The 6th Comann na Mara annual public lecture was held in Lochmaddy Hall on July 10th 2007. Dr. Graham Saunders held an audience of 68 quite spell bound as he described some of the underwater features of Lochmaddy Bay which has European SAC status. He illustrated some of the over 800 species like fresh water Cockles which are to be found hanging on Sea Grass in the upper brackish lagoons out to the Cup Coral and multi coloured Anemones which adorn the slopes of the famous Maddies that guard the entrance. He emphasised that the Bay is well worthy of it`s special classification as it is unique in Europe. He explained that you do not need to be a diver to appreciate this wealth of nature but that due to the shallow upper waters and the large tide range, many of the living creatures can be viewed while snorkelling or just using a glass bottomed bucket.... wading or from a dinghy. One aspect of his talk, that created great interest, was that he spent some time explaining the details of how SNH conduct their surveys. Dr. Saunders is well qualified to give these opinions as he has not only led scientific diving teams in many parts of the world but has published " "The Seas Around Scotland" and is currently the chair of a group that is assessing the state of the whole of Scotland`s Natural Heritage and their report is scheduled for publication in 2010. On display,during the evening, were the SNH video on Lochmaddy Bay..."A Lacework of Land and Sea", exhibtion posters...two made by UHI students under the Runrig Scholarship, one from the Fisheries Reserach Laboratory, Aberdeen on sea temperature changes, one from the Northern Lighthouse Board and the delightful CNM poster on The European Otter by artist Donald Ferguson. Comann na Mara are very greatful to SNH for funding the 2007 annual lecture and to Urachadh Uibhist for making the arrangements.

At the Scottish Biodiversity Conference 2007 Gus MacAulay (CNM member) made several significant contributions to the discussion

Scotland's coastal and marine biodiversity is world-class, with over 8,000 higher marine species, from flameshells to basking sharks, a wide variety of marine habitats, seascapes and internationally important features, including 45% of all seabirds breeding in the EU and 24 species of whale and dolphin. Commercial fish stocks, aquaculture, coastal communities and wildlife tourism all rely on healthy seas. A critical time for our seas.

After a year of high level meetings, Scotland's Environment Minister has concluded that changes are needed in the way our coasts and seas are managed so that conflict between uses and resources are reduced. It is possible, for example, that a new system of Marine Spatial Planning, overseen by a Scottish Marine Management Organisation will help to resolve these conflicts, as part of the way forward. It is important that biodiversity is at the core of all local and national marine management plans. However, it is also vital to ensure that the interests of marine industries and other marine users are also recognised and respected in taking this forward.

The Biodiversity Implementation Team ( bit@snh.gov.uk )can be contacted on 0131 4462457 or Callum Hollywood ( callum.hollywood@snh.gov.uk ) on 0131 4462473.

Letter to The Herald newspaper from the Chairman of Comann na Mara

The Editor, The Herald. 20.2.2007.

Dear Editor,

COASTAL MARINE PARKS. P6 Herald 20.2.2007.

In Scotland, there are 34 Marine Special Areas of Conservation (SAC). Lochmaddy Bay with its added European status is the only one that has spawned a supportive organisation related to it. We have had nearly seven years of aquatic related research and educational activity but, despite this, our group felt unable to support the Executives plans for a Marine Park in our area of the Outer Hebrides. National Parks may not be "as bad as painted" when one considers that despite the great concern at the founding of the Cairngorm National Park, currently, East Perthshire are applying to join it.

The great and almost unanimous opposition to the Executive plans for Marine Parks is probably due to" fear of the unknown". When they have analysed the comments that have been submitted, the Executive should consider a further, wider and slower round of consultation. In it, they should demonstrate that Cultural and Working Heritages are given a level of importance at least equivalent to, if not greater than was given Natural Heritage in the recent and botched consultation effort.

Yours faithfully, Dr. John A.J.Macleod,

North Uist Stickleback

Professor Felicity Huntingford of Glasgow University has studied the brackish water sticklebacks over the years and scientists from her department have regularly come to Uist to collect some for experimental work. Now Dr. Andrew MacCallum and Catherine Harris of Nottingham University have begun a new study into the effect of treatment of the parasites which attach to them.

INVADING THE FAIRY KNOLL

This summer you may have noticed the tops of several big grey cages emerging from the water in the Fairy Knoll as you passed to and from Lochmaddy. You may also associate a black Honda HR-V frequently parked by the road there. Some of you may also have seen a blonde girl in chest waders paddling about in the water. That was me, Catherine Harris, a Research Associate working for Nottingham University on Host Parasite Co-evolution. Fairy Knoll wasn't the only site invaded by these cages. We also put some in Loch Buaile (by the road to Lochportain).

The research conducted this summer was to investigate the Geographic Variation in Host-Parasite Interactions in Natural Fish Populations. We were working with three spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) which can be found in both marine and freshwater forms. The common name, stickleback derives form the presence of three dorsal spines, there are also bony plates to be found along both sides of these small fish (more developed in the marine variety). Both these physical features are thought to be for defence against predators.

Parasite-free fish bred in the lab, were put into the enclosures and left for 8 weeks. During this time the fish were subject to parasite infestation from the natural environment, however, some had been treated with anthelmics (antiparasitic drugs) which should prevent infestation. All these fish were brought back to Nottingham and will be checked for numbers and types of parasite per fish, and to see what effect, if any, the antiparasitic drug had on those treated. Whilst these fish were kept in the enclosures I also conducted population samples on various lochs around North Uist from Sruth Mhoir to Hosta. This involved placing 20 minnow traps in each loch needed to be sampled and leaving them for two days. Fish can enter these traps through a hole in either end, once in, they are not able to find their way back out through the same hole and are trapped. After this time the traps were taken up and, of any sticklebacks caught, 30 were randomly selected and preserved to be returned to Nottingham. The rest were released back into the lochs. The sampled fish will be investigated for parasites and to compared to fish from the other sampled lochs, some fresh water, some saltwater and some brackish water.

Now that I am back in Nottingham, I will start to collect the data on each fish - a very slow process since I have a lot of fish to get through! In the Spring I am due to return for two weeks to collect adult sticklebacks to breed in the lab for my return journey next summer when I get to repeat the whole process! Look out for the black Honda….. I would like to thank Mrs. Mary-Anne MacDonald for her hospitality and friendship during my stay.

>>Dr Andrew MacCallum of Nottingham University is again working on treatment for parasites. His 2007 assistant is Sonia Chapman.

Hello from Nova Scotia!

My name is Alicia McLean, and I was fortunate enough to be the Runrig scholar of 2006. Together, Comann na Mara, the rock band Runrig, and the Bedford Institute of Oceanography enabled me to relocate to picturesque Lochmaddy for four weeks, in order to study the common seaweed, "knotted wrack", a.k.a. Ascophyllum nodosum. Lochmaddy is a beautiful little village on North Uist, which is about a two hour journey by boat from the Isle of Skye. It has a breathtaking landscape and was a perfect environment for my study due to the incredible diversity of the habitat and associated flora. The community showed a great deal of interest in my work, as Ascophyllum had previously been harvested in the area for decades, and at the time of my arrival, harvesting was restarting on adjacent islands with talk of potentially harvesting again on North Uist . During my stay, I collected data on knotted wrack from seven different locations throughout Lochmaddy, and the associated environmental data from those sites. In the analysis of this data, I am hoping to find correlations between the environment in which this seaweed grows, and the physical characteristics (a.k.a. the morphology) of the plants. I am currently analyzing this data for potential publications. I have also collected similar data from twenty-five locations in Nova Scotia, which I am currently analyzing for my undergraduate thesis. I am hopeful that the findings from these two studies may prove useful to communities in both the Outer Hebrides and in Nova Scotia, as well as in other communities where Ascophyllum has traditionally been harvested. In North Uist in particular, there may be some growing concerns as to how harvesting may impact the ecology of the lochs; Lochmaddy was recently declared a Special Area of Conservation (S.A.C.) by the British government, and harvesting of the seaweed has begun again on neighboring islands. I hope that my work may serve as a component of a baseline study for this purpose. I would like to thank the community of Lochmaddy for their interest in my work, Runrig, Comann na Mara and the Bedford Institute of Oceanography for their generous funding, The Scottish Association for Marine Science Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory for the generous loan of equipment, and the committee members of Comann na Mara who looked after me so thoughtfully during my stay. If anyone has any further interests or questions in my research, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at ammclean@gmail.com

The 6th CNM annual lecture " Sperm Whales in Scottish Waters" by Dr. John Goold, University of Wales, took place on Tuesday 22nd Aug. at the Claddach Kirkibost Centre on North Uist.

There was a big turn out to hear his talk on Sperm Whales in Scotland. The Sperm Whales which swim past Scotland are mainly immature Males heading for the Arctic from the area where they were born which is round the Azores. In the last ten years there has been a very large increase in the numbers of them that have beached...alive or dead in UK but it is mainly in Scotland. From studies in other parts of the world, it is possible that their strandings are due to certain frequencies of naval underwater broadcasts i.e. new types of sonar.

.

Feedback from Nova Scotia

Dear Dr. McLeod,

Alicia has just returned, and has been regaling us with stories of her adventures on North Uist. On behalf of myself, the Biology Department and St. Francis Xavier University I heartily thank you and Comann Na Mara for your extreme good will and the very positive experience that Alicia had while on North Uist. I have had a look at document that Alicia gave me regarding Comann na mara and your request that StFX's name be added to the list of moral supporters. I have no hesitation in doing this formally, and either myself or my Dean will compose the letter. Someday, I hope to get to your Loch and experience the Outer Hebrides first hand. Thank you again.

David Garbary, Professor of Biology

CELTIC BAND RUNRIG FUND RESEARCH ON SEAWEED

Date : 17.06.06 A Seaweed known as knotted wrack is coming under the scrutiny of a Canadian student for the next month, courtesy of Celtic rock band Runrig. The band have started a scholarship to aid marine research in Lochmaddy Bay, North Uist, because of brothers Calum and Rory Macdonald's roots in the area. The brothers grew up in Lochmaddy, where their mother still lives. Lochmaddy Bay has European SAC (Special Area of Conservation) status and boasts marine life second to none in the UK. "Loch Maddy is one of the most complex loch systems in Europe," explained Runrig drummer Calum. "It has 10 lagoons linking the main sea loch to freshwater lochs, giving an amazing variety and number of habitats concentrated into one small area." The Macdonald brothers have had a long association with the charity Comann Na Mara, set up to be a catalyst for marine scientists and source of information for all interested in the unique aquatic features of the area. The £500 Runrig scholarship fund was set up last year, and to Comann Na Mara's amazement, Runrig fans in Germany immediately donated a further £250 to the cause. The 2005 scholarship went to the Scottish Association of Marine Science, part of the University of the Highlands and Islands, based at Dunstaffnage. This year, the Runrig scholarship goes to Alicia Maclean of the Bedford Institute in Nova Scotia, who arrived in Lochmaddy this week. She is studying knotted wrack in order to be able to compare its distribution and growth to that of an area of coast in Nova Scotia. "It's a great connection for us too as our lead singer Bruce Guthro comes from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia," commented Calum. Knotted wrack seaweed is a species previously harvested commercially in the bay until the late 1970s. A Lewis company is currently looking to restart the seaweed industry once again in the Western Isles, using the same species.

Reprinted from - http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=149664&command=displayContent&sourceNode=149490&contentPK=14692813&folderPk=85696

Back to the future as seaweed plant opens - article by JOHN ROSS

SCOTLAND'S age-old seaweed industry will be brought into the 21st century when a state-of-the-art drying plant opens soon. The factory, the only one of its kind in Britain, has been built at the former oil yard at Arnish, near Stornoway. The seaweed will be sent to an agent on the mainland for distribution to markets, including the Middle East, for use in organic fertilisers, food and cosmetics. The Hebridean Seaweed Company, set up by Malcolm MacRae and Martin MacLeod, is starting with an order to deliver 2,000 tonnes a year, with hopes of expanding production further and employing around 30 people. Seaweed traditionally has supported thousands of jobs in Scotland. In the mid-18th century it brought in about £7 million at today's prices in the Western Isles alone. The last factory in the islands closed in 2004 due to a downturn in demand and competition from overseas. The new factory, which uses kerosene to fuel modern driers, needs to collect 8,000 tonnes of wet raw material to produce the 2,000 tonnes of dried seaweed. Mr MacLeod said: "Demand for seaweed is multiplying every year. We think we are opening at the right time and in the right place." Studies are looking at the use of seaweed to generate energy and to clean the environment around fish farms. Scientists claim alginate in seaweed could replace fat in junk foods, while chemicals in marine algae are said to fight bacteria that cause infections such as the superbug MRSA. Ten cutters will be collecting seaweed from around Lewis and Harris, and it is hoped another eight will be recruited in the Uists, with others possibly from Skye and Barra in future. Harvesting can be lucrative, with cutters able to collect about £100-£200 worth of seaweed in five hours, although tides usually restrict cutting to only three weeks out of four. Mr MacLeod added: "The islands are thought of as a place where it's hard to start a new enterprise on a large scale. But for our business it is beneficial to be so remote. The shores are clean and unpolluted and, historically, the seaweed here has been seen as being of the best quality. "It's a natural resource of the sea, it's a good clean product and we have now moved the process into the 21st century. "It's also a sustainable industry. It's just like cutting the grass on your lawn, as it grows back." The use of seaweed in Scotland dates from St Columba's day, when a poem refers to the monks on Iona collecting dulse as part of their diet. In the 17th century, island communities burned kelp to produce sodium and potassium-rich materials used for bleaching linen and making soap. Seaweed was also used as a food, and made into soups or tea. Extracts such as iodine were also used to help medical conditions. Greg Keniser, a lecturer at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, said: "Seaweed was a mainstay of the economy for 80-120 years on the west coast, and it's nice there will potentially be a local product that could be used across the UK and wider." Donnie Macaulay, chief executive of Western Isles Enterprise, added: "The arrival of Hebridean Seaweed will create important employment opportunities at the processing end throughout the islands."

This article: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=883752006

Student from Nova Scotia arrives in Lochmaddy

The 2005 Runrig scholarship was given to the Scottish Association of Marine Science which is part of the University of the Highlands and Islands and based at Dunstaffnage. A tutor and two students came and looked at aspects of the Bay and other tidal areas of North Uist. They have produced two display posters and these will form part of Comann na Mara`s contribution to the forthcoming exhibition in Taigh Chearsabhagh. The 2006 scholarship has been awarded to Alicia Maclean of Nova Scotia (photo below) who comes for 4 weeks on June 14th. Alicia has no knowledge of any relatives in Uist but would be pleased to meet any one who has links with Nova Scotia. She can be contacted through John MacLeod. Part of her project will be to study the common sea weed…Knotted Wrack and compare its distribution and growth with that of an area of coast in Nova Scotia. This is a particularly apt topic for her to have chosen as this is the sea weed that was previously harvested in the Bay and a Lewis company are hoping to re start the industry.

COASTAL MONITORING PROJECT. For three years, Comann na Mara have been carrying out weekly sampling of the water of Lochmaddy Bay for this national project which is organised from the Fishery Research Laboratory at Aberdeen. We also supervise a temperature monitor in the Bay. Some of the results from this work will also be displayed at the exhibition.

ANNUAL LECTURE 2006. Dr. John Goold, University of North Wales kindly agreed to be our speaker. He is a world expert on the sounds made by Whales, Dolphins and Seals and that was his subject.

Lochmaddy Bay S.A.C. interpretive plaques have been erected at Sponish and opposite Lochmaddy Hotel. Comann na Mara were commissioned by S.N.H. to design and erect these.

BASKING SHARK (Cetorhinus maximus)

There has been an increase in the number of sightings of basking sharks around the Hebrides during 2005 - the world`s second largest fish. The numbers have been small and a long way from the huge numbers that were here in the fifties. At that time there were several groups hunting them for the oil from their livers. In August 2005, a young male (9 feet) was found drowned in a mackerel net. It was towed into Lochmaddy and then sent to the Marine Station at Millport on the Clyde, where Dr Mauvis Gore and Howard MacCrindle were delighted to welcome it for dissection under their research project.

Two books about the hunting in the Minches are "Harpoon at a Venture" by Gavin Maxwell and "Sharko" by Patrick Fitzgerald O`Connor.

HYDROPHONE IN THE MINCH.

The University of Wales is one of the "Moral Supporters" of Comann na Mara and Dr.John and Linda Goold who are experts on the sounds of Whales and Dolphins visited North Uist in August 2005. They brought a portable hydrophone and were taken out in the Minch for a day aboard "Sula". Despite a good search to the east of North Uist, no cetaeceans were seen or heard. However they are pretty sure that they heard some "Snapping Shrimps" whch are found in the Irish Sea but they had not heard of them being this far north

SUNFISH (Mola mola)

Long recorded as occasional summer visitors to Hebridean waters, two sunfish were seen close together off the west of North Uist on 21.5.2005.

 Marine centre for Lochmaddy

The following is a translation of an article by Norman E MacDonald that appeared in The Scotsman on Sat 6th August, in Gaelic.

The environment of the Western Isles is special, because they are situated on the edge and surrounded by sea that is at times an enemy and sometimes a friend. At the beginning of this year it caused great damage and loss that put the people in danger and caused sorrow and sadness. In spite of that many derive much pleasure from the sea and gain their livelihood from it. No islander can get away or return without crossing it. Sometimes it is a hindrance to them and other times it draws them, and when they are far from it they miss it.

Lochmaddy Bay is now designated a special marine site where small marine animals, shellfish, insects, seaweed and diverse plants are to be found, many of which do not exist in any other place. The bay altogether covers 2,000 hectares and includes lochs, reefs, large boulders, sea-lochs (òbain), peatbogs, banks that are half peat half sand, bogs, threatening quicksands (mudbanks) and little bays that oscillate from being calm and peaceful to seeming whirlpools. The water that fills the bay, where the sea rises and recedes, consists of a mix of seawater, fresh water, warm water and cold water.

There are 21 islands in the bay, over 200 tiny islands, underwater reefs, tidal reefs, surrounded by brackish water, and between them is a maze of fords that change with the currents of the flowing and ebbing tides. Little wonder that the bay is important because there is likely no other place in Europe where the sea, the land and fresh water from the lochs and rivers combine so richly together. It is important that the sea is looked after and that the people are aware of how precious it is.

For that reason a voluntary group, called Comann na Mara, came together in Lochmaddy. The chairman Dr John MacLeod, said," Our aim is to support research on the bay and raise awareness of the importance of the waters surrounding the islands." "Our first target is to establish a marine centre for the Western Isles in Lochmaddy where communities in general as well as scientists may conduct research and obtain information on the riches of the sea. We are quite proud that this year Lochmady Bay was awarded the accolade of a European Site of Special Scientific Interest. We hope to have an annual presentation given by a notable scholar on a subject that will be of interest to the community in general."

Norman Johnson, a member of the Comann said," Fortunately two old buildings, suitable for development as a marine centre, were located close to the small pier where boats anchor. We are seeking money to buy and develop them. Last year we held an auction and raised over £4000."

The Runrig group have a close connection with Lochmaddy. Ruairidh and Calum MacDonald were born in Lochmaddy and they have supported the community in many ways. They have now awarded an annual scholarship to Comann na Mara and each year an individual or a group can be awared £500 to conduct some research project in Lochmaddy Bay.

Contact :

Comann na Mara
Taigh na Hearradh
Lochmaddy
Isle of North Uist
HS6 5AE

Tel 01876 500224