Random Jottings
They still shoot seals you know BUT they have lost their right to anonymity!
A bit of a development as reported in a 'Scottish paper' regards the ongoing struggle with Salmon farms and native life. I have copied verbatim.
Scottish ministers have been ordered to reveal the names of fish farms that shoot seals, and the number of animals killed, after trying to keep the information secret.
Rosemary Agnew, the Scottish Information Commissioner, rejects as 'tenuous' the SNP case for secrecy. In a report published today, Ms Agnew announces her disappointment at the governments failiure to prove the argument that the public would be put at risk if details were published.
More than 300 seals have been killed by some or all of eight goverment licensed fish-farming companies since the start of 2011. Now the numbers killed by individual companies will have to be published by January 10, though ministers could appeal to the court of sessions on a point of law.
The government has claimed that the information could not be published because of fears that direction by animal rights campaigners could put those responsible in danger.
This was disputed by anti-fish farming campaigners, and has been dismissed by Ms Agnew, "The commissioner accepts that the killing of seals is an emotive subject and one which could conceivably lead to direct action by protesters", she writes in her ruling "However, in relation to potential threat to public safety, the ministers have not provided evidence which would support a view that public safety would be threatened."
A spokesman for the Global Alliance Against Industrial Aquaculture, which appealed against the governments refusal to name names, said "The public will be able to avoid buying salmon from farms where seals are killed needlessly".
The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation accused activists of making veiled threats, "We remain concerned about the welfare of individuals who may be targeted" said Scott Landsburgh, the chief executive. "Farmers are legally required to protect stock. A rogue seal can kill thousands of fish".
By John Simpson
So, rather interesting although I have no doubt that the Scottish Government will appeal, what with China now boycotting the import of Scandanavian salmon due to the actions of the Nobel Prize committee there is an awful lot of trade of salmon between China and Scotland which 'supports' jobs but gives zero tax to the exchequer (shades of Starbucks!). For more details you can follow the link below:
http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/ApplicationsandDecisions/Decisions/2012/201201193.asp
Latest Photographs


Bear with me....its the port side hawse pipe and the two 'eyes' are where the flukles of the anchor located to sop them 'bashing about' when the ship was operating at high speed or inclement seas.
More shots of the debris field, later in the year so a 'better' water colour!
Part of the stern section of SS Mistley, there is a small area where the girder construction is still present and maybe 1m above the seabed.
A view over the broken 'bottom' with a random diver. At times the site does resemble diver soup usually when prevailing conditions are poor limiting access to other areas or when the seals are in residence.
Over the boulders and further along the bottom becomes 'paved', again, plenty of filter feeding life but not much opportunity for crabs and lobbies.
More non-ferrous from Mistley and this time some golf balls for good measure!
In the centre of the top deck as you swim back towards the funnels there are only the occasional uprights left, not sure how long before everything starts buckling.
After the 'engine bits' there is an area where it's like a giant meccano kit, protruding maybe 4ft out of the sand.
A bored Hud doing deco
The ships were built for speed, with plates rivetted together, the rivets will have been made from a softer material with less cobalt/manganese so have rotted away leaving rows of holes and allowing the paltes to start slipping.
Keel again.
A moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) another common species that doesn't sting so you can get up close and personal without being concerned about needing your buddy to pee on the stings!
More shots of the debris field, later in the year so a 'better' water colour!
Just a scenic showing the vis on this particular dive, it was around the 10m mark, probably a tad better.
The cock-pit, you can see that all removeable bits have gone, that's the good old UK diver for you!
A common Hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus), this one seemed to have a load of eggs around the outer edge of the shell
Is it a plant...is it a vegetable? I really don't know but suspect that it may actually be some sort of egg. There are always a few about but they do appear and then disppear in quite a short time-scale!
A rather bedraggled Sqaut Lobster (Galathea squamifera) sitting within a Dead-mans finger (Alcyonium digitatum) this one had no claws hence it had lost it's hole and was hiding away in a filter feeder, judging by it's general appearance and barnacle covered carapice I would think, not long of this world.
Arty-farty alert....again!
Now I have been doing some research and perhaps these 'spotty' sea hare (Aplysia punctuate) are in-fact 'green' sea slugs (Elysia viridis) I have noted the word green as apparently they are coloured based on their food, pretty much like the sea hare but have characteristic small spots of iridescence. Maybe further investigation?