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managers need support in understanding their part in tackling diffuse pollution, and
the role of one-to-one advice is critical here.
New regulation will be required for the control of diffuse pollution - of that there
can be no doubt. The Water Framework Directive requires EU Member States to
manage diffuse sources of pollution. What is clear, however, is that legislation alone
will not bring about the necessary change in practices, especially for sectors that are
responsible for managing so much of Scotland’s land area. Action will be required
sooner by farmers in some areas and it will be important that the reasons why are
well communicated and understood. The River Basin Management Planning process
will play a key part in this.
In a post-CAP reform era, the incentive for farmers and growers to produce crops or
livestock depends on the market place as opposed to the receipt of farm support.
This is a crucial change and must now be accompanied by the re-direction of farm
support payments to the protection and conservation of natural resources. In
Scotland, we expect this to happen via Land Management Contracts. Delivering
financial support to address the priority issues of diffuse pollution, biodiversity and
landscape is paramount.
There is no doubt that modern farming and forestry practices have a major impact on
air, soil and water quality. We must balance the positive and negative aspects of food
and timber production and seek to maximise the ‘win wins’. Consumer interest in
how and where food is produced has never been greater and significant opportunities
exist for farmers who follow the principles of Integrated Farm Management. The
same applies to organic farming where consumer demand is outstripping supply and
where particular attention is given to soil use and management as well as chemical
inputs. Farmers are becoming more aware of these challenges and many are already
successfully integrating environmental issues into their day-to-day decision making.
The energy and drive to sustain and develop a business for the future is critical.
Adapting to new demands is essential for business survival.
Clearly, if we want a better water environment, and we certainly do, we need to
support land managers with their decisions. The evidence must be there to support
action and we will need to demonstrate that the actions being taken are working.
At this conference we will hear of first hand experience in using particular tools,
techniques and measures that target and manage rural diffuse pollution effectively.
Making conferences like this happen involves an enormous amount of work. I would
therefore like to say a big thank you to all of the SAC and SEPA staff who played a
part in organising this event. I would also like to thank all of the speakers and poster
presenters. We are very pleased to have speakers from all around the UK and the
world. This is both a very exciting prospect and a fantastic achievement on behalf
of all concerned.
My expectations of this conference are high and the partnerships we will forge
through working together will, I hope, make our environment even better tomorrow
than it is today.
Dr J Campbell Gemmell
Chief Executive, Scottish Environment Protection Agency
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