Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston has criticised the SNP rural minister Jim Fairlie for having no plans for tackling wildfires on Scotland’s islands.
This followed a statement today [Tuesday 11 November] in the Scottish Parliament, updating on the Scotland-wide wildfire summit in October.
The Conservative MSP questioned the Minister on the specific needs of islands in relation to wildfire responses, highlighting fires in the last few years on Arran, Gruinard Island and in Shetland, as well as asking who the Scottish Government had invited to the summit to specifically represent island communities.
In response Mr Fairlie read out a list of job titles of attendees, but couldn’t identify any who were islanders or with island interests.
Speaking after the statement, Jamie Halcro Johnston – who is also convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Islands – said:
“Wildfires have caused devastating damage across the Highlands and Islands in recent years – and it is vital that the Scottish Government support efforts to tackle them.
“Those of us on the islands know that the response here needs extra attention. Equipment and people cannot be moved about as they are on the mainland.
“I highlighted the enormous fires on Gruinard Island in 2022, but there have been several examples from across Scotland of island wildfires causing enormous damage – and the problems in getting them under control.
“So when I asked the Minister specifically about who was at the wildfire summit from the islands, I was shocked that he was left scrabbling through his notes, naming everyone who was there – but entirely clueless on whether there was single islander among them.
“He then told the Scottish Parliament that ‘we didn’t look at a specific island issue’ in relation to the summit or wider wildfire planning.
“That it has never even occurred to the Scottish Government minister in charge of wildfire response that there may be specific island needs here is a damning indictment of this government’s lack of care and attention to island communities.”
