I thank Brian Gee, letters, March 31, for his praise and, like him, share my dismay that the SNP has lost so many members.
With 72,000 remaining, it has dropped to being only eight or nine times as big as all three of the English parties with Scottish branches combined.
I cannot be more accurate as they don't publish their membership.
Tony Williams, Bodach Greannach, Muasdale.
Some time ago, I wrote regarding the fine legacy the Forestry Commission had left Carradale in the form of walks and picnic sites.
Alas, it now appears Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) does not have the same ethos, although a search of its self-congratulatory website would suggest otherwise.
As was Sarah Moorcroft, I was horrified at the introduction of charges at our Carradale car parks, Campbeltown Courier, March 31.
While a fee of £3 for a mobile home to overnight at Port na Storm – which is designed for mobile homes – may not be unreasonable, the Grianan car park is different.
If FLS had done its homework, it would have found this car park is mainly used by a small band of enthusiastic dog walkers who would scoff at a walk of less than an hour, don’t care if the grass is cut and are unlikely to be sitting down at the picnic bench and whipping out their sandwiches.
While appreciating the vast number of schemes for outdoor activities FLS provides countrywide, perhaps a second look at charges for use of this little isolated car park might help the ‘well-being’ of a few Carradale residents.
Trish Hurst, Carradale.
I am writing in favour of the Community Inshore Fisheries Alliance to raise awareness and appeal to the wider community for support against the proposed 'Highly Protected Marine Areas' (HPMAs).
Fishing is the lifeblood of Scotland's remote coastal and island communities. The boats you see off the coast or coming back to harbour, after a hard day at sea, are the backbone of many coastal communities.
They are creel fishermen, mobile fishermen, line fishermen, dive fishermen; small family businesses.
In England, three HPMAs covering just 0.53 per cent of English waters are to be trialled as pilots.
What is proposed in Scotland are permanent designations of at least 10 per cent of our seas.
Please show your support by signing the below petition and completing the Scottish Government consultation.
The We Sea Community petition (#weseacommunity) is available on www.change.org, and the Scottish Government consultation, which closes on April 17 is at consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/scottish-highly-protected-marine-areas
Argyll and Bute Council is preparing a response to the consultation. There will be a chance for all elected members to contribute so I would appeal to individuals to contact their ward councillors.
Together, as one, we can scrap controversial SNP/Green coalition plans to ban, initially in 10 per cent of Scotland's territorial waters, all forms of commercial and recreational fishing.
If implemented, HPMAs will significantly impact our small-scale fishing communities.
Councillor Tommy Macpherson, South Kintyre ward.
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