www.acba.org.uk - Argyll Charter Boats Association

FORTHCOMING EVENTS - MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR DIARY

10 September 2008 at 1900 in the conference room at the Isle of Mull Hotel, Craignure: next meeting of the Sound of Mull SSMEI Working Group. Please let ACBA know if you can be our representative at this meeting.

ITEMS OF INTEREST - APPROX LAST THREE MONTHS (visit archives for older information)

If members wish to comment on any of the content of these documents please contact ACBA or the individual listed in the information supplied

Sarah Benfield, SSMEI Sound of Mull Officer, recently married and is now Sarah Cunningham. Her new email address is Sarah.Cunningham@argyll-bute.gov.uk. 09/07/08

Confirmation that the missing/broken/dangerous ladder on the North Pier has now been replaced by Argyll & Bute Council. Thanks to ACBA members who assisted with photos and updates which allowed ACBA to remind the Council that replacement of the ladder was their responsibility. 29/06/08

Letter (38kb .doc) from Scottish Natural Heritage stating that, "The Scottish Government has asked Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to undertake a consultation on its behalf on proposals to extend 31 existing Seabird Special Protection Areas into the marine environment." Links to relevant web-based information. 27/06/08

Sea angling charter boats - please consider assisting student James Thorburn with his study regarding the economic importance of common skate to the west coast of Scotland. See the skipper's questionnaire (103kb .ppt), the angler's questionnaire (115kb .ppt) and the log sheet (319kb .doc) to record catch data. If you can help by distributing "appeal postcards" please download (50kb .pdf), print off and hand them to places where anglers might hang out. If you wish to contact James you can email him. 27/06/08

Consultation on the government's Draft Marine Bill (which was published on 3 April 2008) closes on 26 June 2008. DEFRA are seeking your views on the proposals set out in the draft Bill and input to the supporting Impact Assessment. Visit the website here, download the 687 page Bill here (2.03Mb .pdf) or read the few pages that make up the Executive Summary (124kb .pdf). 24/06/08

If you haven't completed the short (and confidential) online survey about your business which is being collated by Sarah Benfield SSMEI Sound of Mull officer, please do so now. It won't take long and will likely be of benefit to ACBA in the future. Thanks to those who have already taken the survey. 23/06/08

Minutes (82kb .pdf) from the Oban Bay Marine members meeting held 9 June 2008. ACBA was represented by Tony Hill and Hannah Thompson. 19/06/08

Minutes (87kb .doc) and accompanying email from Sarah Benfield regarding the meeting of the SSMEI Sound of Mull Working Group held on 27 May 2008. ACBA was represented by Rob Barlow. 16/06/08

Planning permission granted by Argyll & Bute Council for the replacement of the previously existing seasonal small boat landing stage at Cardingmill Bay (site of Borro Boats). Details on the Council's website. 11/06/08

Website listing of your boat/business at The Marine Pages. Different levels of membership including a free option. Click here to see the options. 10/06/08

Borro Boats Displenishing Sale at Dungallan Park, Gallanach Road, Oban held by United Auctions today. Did you get a bargain? Let us know! 08/06/08

Several items about Oban made the news pages of June's "Yachting Life" magazine. Read them here. 01/06/08

Meeting of the SSMEI Sound of Mull Working Group tonight. ACBA will be represented. Read the Agenda (41kb .doc) plus various items for reference and review: Interactions between Sectors (164kb .doc), Development Opportunities (173kb .doc), Formal and Informal Management Agreements (1Mb .doc) plus a list of Questions to Consider for the Draft Reports (26kb .doc). Minutes will follow next month. 27/05/08

Marine Life from the Boat and Coast Following the recent 2nd publication and printing of this leaflet it is now currently available for distribution. The leaflet provides a species description together with a Wildlife Watching Code of Conduct and a sightings information page. If you would like to receive copies of this revised leaflet, please contact Lorraine Holdstock, Marine and Coastal Development Officer, by email, telephone 01631 567909 or 07824408399 or write to her at the Marine and Coastal Development Unit, Argyll and Bute Council, Lorn House, Albany Street, Oban PA34 4AR. 26/05/08

Update (48kb .pdf) from Oban Bay Marine, of which ACBA is a member, on progress so far. If you prefer visit the website of OBM. 25/05/08

Please take a short online survey regarding your business. This information is being collated by Sarah Benfield SSMEI Sound of Mull Officer and is confidential. It won't take long and will likely be of benefit to ACBA in the future. 29/04/08

An issue that arose at the AGM was that of an access ladder which has literally fallen off the North Pier. ACBA will remind Argyll & Bute Council that they are responsible for safety on the North Pier being the Harbour Authority for the pier. Their responsibilities, plus more legislation, can be read on the Department of Transport's webpage Port Marine Safety Code. 14/04/08

Agenda of Argyll Charter Boats Association AGM. Held tonight. 11/04/08

Review of Pier and Berthing Dues (168kb .pdf) for Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (the half of Cal Mac that now owns the piers). This was emailed to some operators but apparently not others. CMAL are seeking comments so please take a look and report your thoughts back to ACBA. 31/03/08

Free boat listing for your dive charter vessel on website divesearch which is dedicated to listing UK dive charter vessels. 26/03/08

Minutes (64kb .doc) of the last SSMEI Sound of Mull Working Group meeting held on 12 February 2008 at Lochaline Village Hall. 13/03/08

Document (1.23Mb .pdf) put together by the SSMEI pilots taken to the Sustainable Seas Task Force workshop on Marine Planning and ICZM held today. It describes lessons learned by the pilots so far though the majority of information comes from the Clyde and Shetland officers as they are further ahead than the Sound of Mull. If anyone wants a paper copy please contact Sarah Benfield SSMEI Sound of Mull officer. 12/03/08

Free boat listing on websites boat district and dotcomsailing - just follow the links and complete your details. 10/03/08

Anchoring in Loch Creran Lorraine Holdstock, Marine & Coastal Development Officer at Argyll & Bute Council, informs us of a new leaflet about anchoring in Loch Creran. The designated anchorages were identified following a review by the Argyll Marine SAC Management Forum and can be used routinely without damage to the fragile serpulid reefs inhabiting the loch. Visit the Argyll Marine SAC website to download the leaflet (5.8Mb), email Lorraine for hard copies or call her on 01631 567909. 06/03/08

Letter from Historic Scotland regarding public consultation under the Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP) series: SHEP on the Marine Historic Environment [Con 988]. You can also download the consultation document here. Responses must be in by 30 May 2008. 05/03/08

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