 Bring it on to the next item of business. We will now move on to the next item of business. I would as those who are leaving the gallery to please do so quickly and quietly. Thank you very much indeed. Is a member's business debate on motion 10364", on the world rivers day 2023.This debate will be ddiwethaf i interactiïa. A chyngaud o dens y ddigon i tro i ddweud eich d Signخ imaginell talwed math o gyllidio Trifedig plain, mirr dwi sports ieachurai cyfar, rheswb gilydd gyweddau sydd wedi teimlo i trau i gweithio'r arddangosedigorolio o hytrfwrdd i gynydens Aeaga wrth mум passesat d즈id. jungr ben geld tudhaf chi's medioachgo allwch arno chi â allwch hwnnw diogelodi, Ac i hyffordd I will declare my interests as the nature's champion of sea trout. World rivers day is a celebration of the world's waterways held on the 4th Sunday of September each year, which means this year's celebration will be taking place this coming Sunday on the 24th of September. World rivers day is especially relevant to us given Scotland's renowned worldwide for the environmental quality of our rivers Lachs, Sees and Waterways, which attract visitors and support our key industries. Scotland's landscape is shaped by its rivers and those rivers provide fresh water to sustain us, support our farms, drive industry and power our homes. Scotland as a whole has over 125,000 kilometres of waterways ranging from small burns to wide deep rivers. Every major city has grown up around them and they have benefitted our populations hugely, not just economically with them being the gateway to trade and transport goods in the past, but also for the health and wellbeing of our citizens. Edinburgh has the fourth, Glasgow has the Clyde, Dundee has the Tay and Aberdeen has two. We have the benefit of both the D and the Dawn. The River Dawn runs through my constituency of Aberdeen-Donside, hence the reason why I was delighted to become the champion of the sea trout, as it leaves the North Sea to travel up the River Dawn to spawn each year. One of my favourite walks is to take a dander along the riverbank where wildlife were on freely right on my doorstep. Last time I was lucky enough to see a heron standing on a large stone in the river and I just hoped it wasn't on the prowl for one of my sea trout on its way upstream. Our folk have lived and worked along the River Dawn for centuries and you can still see the relics of Aberdeen's industrial past and some of the better known mills on the lower reaches of the Dawn. The river has been used as a power source to drive processes and machines for hundreds of years and has really developed in the 1700s when there were several mills along the river, with many becoming large concerns and household names, such as the inventor of the Cromby Coat, John Cromby, at Granham Mills. The textile mills have all closed, however, but you will still find machinery and building along the river, which stands testament to this fine part of the city's history. A we look at the history of World Rivers Day itself, the United Nations launched the Water for Life decade back in 2005 to help create a greater awareness of the need to better care for water resources. That led to Mark Angelo, an internationally renowned river advocate establishing World Rivers Day. The proposal for a worldwide event to celebrate rivers was following the success of BC Rivers Day, which Mark had founded and led in western Canada in 1980. The annual event has grown a fair bit since then, continuing to grow annually and is celebrated last year by several million folk in about up to 100 countries. Our rivers and waterways faces challenges moving forward, whether that be the effects of climate change or the impact that we have on our planet and its environment. The likes of water temperature, extreme flow events, nutrient enrichment and pollution can be substantial and have an accumulative effect on not only our waters but the living creatures within them. For example, Atlantic salmon and sea trout play a vital role in the complex life cycle of the freshwater pearl mussel as they act as a host in the larval stage. This is just one example of how we cannot afford to lose a link in our ecosystems. I know the champion for the freshwater pearl mussel, Audrey Nicholl, has taken part in the debate today, and I am sure that she will be able to expand on that further. Without the trees on the river banks and the foliage, the temperature rises in the river, which in turn means that there is no shade for the trout or salmon to rest in as they make their way upstream to spawn. River Woods is a wide partnership initiative led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and it is one example of how co-ordinated actions help to create thriving riverbank woodlands and healthy river systems and help to keep river temperatures at where they should be. I thank them and their partners for their work, and I also thank the landowners and communities who are taking part in the landscape scale restoration projects, for example remerandering to help to combat the loss of spawning river gravel habitat. On the very point of the impact that our waterways have on the species that live within them, I think that it is a good opportunity to highlight the Scottish Government's wild salmon strategy, a strategy that also benefits the sea trout and the brown trout as they have similar life histories and all would benefit from improved river and riverbank conditions. I think that it is appropriate that we acknowledge the work that the Scottish Government is doing here in Scotland, but also recognise the commitment within the strategy to support and push forward collective action in the international arena as well, particularly to assist the young salmon and sea trout that depart our rivers to survive the challenges that they face on the high seas and who return to their home river to spawn the next generation. The health of our river basins is a key commitment of our Scottish Government, and I was pleased to see the previous environment minister bring forward in partnership with SEPA, the river basin management plans for Scotland 2021 to 2027. It sets out ambitious targets to improve water quality in Scotland's waterways by 15 per cent, to ensure 81 per cent of Scotland's water environment being in good condition by 2027. The plan aims to work with land managers to reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture and support passage of migratory fish such as salmon. Presiding Officer, as I draw my remarks to a close, I would like to thank members who have supported my motion and members in the chamber for their attendance, and I look forward to listening to contributions during debate on this important issue. Thank you, Mr Barth. I now call everyone to be followed by Alexander Burnett. Thank you to my friend and colleague Jackie Dunbarth for bringing this important debate to the chamber. In Scotland rivers are small tributaries and locks and run-offs that feed them. Our home to thousands of species. When our rivers are healthy, biodiversity thrives, when our rivers are not looked after, the ill effects are many. If we take the fourth as an example, as was mentioned by Jackie Dunbarth, industry has had a lasting impact. Everything from chemical and agricultural pollution and forestry can put pressure on the river system. In my constituency, a wide range of local projects are making strides to support river systems and recover lost biodiversity. Individual landowners like Kate Sankey of West Mosside Organic Farm have encouraged river banks to re-naturalise after years of dredging and have seen the return of otters, waterfalls and most recently beavers as a result. The cast of Stirling project are getting school children involved in learning about species in wetlands. The fourth rivers trust are planting trees along the island water to boost habitat, provide a wildlife corridor and shade for river species. That is increasingly important as greater extremes of weather brought by climate change see hot dry summers which dry up bodies of water and lead to increased risk of fire, as well as decimating water-reliant species. Winters are wetter with enormous rainfall over short periods bringing flash floods and washing away roads, fields and habitat. If we support our river systems, we can do a great deal to mitigate that. In November 2021, the Bouser family became the first private landlords in Scotland to legally translocate beavers to unenclosed ponds. Fourteen beavers have since been released on Ardogburn near Doon. All came from land in Tesside, where lethal control licences had been issued. I was delighted to visit Neil Bouser last week at his farm to see where the beavers live and what a wonderful job they have done of transforming the local environment. Unfortunately, they were resting as they had been very busy building dams, chewing logs and more beaver behaviour, so I did not actually see them, but maybe next time. Neil does do small tours at certain times of the year for those that are interested. Beavers are often known as ecosystem engineers, helping to provide habitat for young fish, food for invertebrates and deep pools for large fish to rest, and much more. As Neil told me, they also have a transformational impact on the wider environment, too. At Ardogburn, in previous summers, ponds and streams evaporated while in winter they flooded. They also flooded the farm's deading below. However, since the beavers' arrival, their dams have meant that the pond has stayed full through one of the driest summers on record and kept thousands of water-dependent species alive. I know from my work as a nature champion for the rare azure hawker dragonfly, just how important it is to ensure that ponds do not dry up. It is extremely happening to hear about the positive impact that those projects are achieving. Collaborative working between farmers, local organisations and communities with a holistic approach can do so much. We must continue to do all that we can to look after our rivers and water courses and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Thank you to Jackie Dunbar for bringing this important issue to debate to recognise World Rivers Day. I refer members to my entry regarding the river D in the register of members' interests. I would also like to note that I was previously the linked nature champion for the freshwater pearl mussel and enjoyed spending days learning all about the conservation works, taking place to support a wealth of biodiversity. The pearl mussel is an important indicator of the species and its decline is unfortunately a shameful testament to the Government's willful neglect of our rivers, which I am sure Audrey Nicol will be able to explain shortly. The river D is recognised as a special area of conservation for its efforts to protect Atlantic salmon, freshwater pearl mussels and otters, with numerous initiatives put in place to protect salmon numbers such as catch and release and the million trees campaign run by the river D trust, which I was delighted to see shortlisted for a nature of Scotland award last night in Parliament. Sadly, my mailbox is now filled with constituents, businesses and tourists who are concerned about the declining number of salmon in the river D. The cabinet secretary will be aware from my correspondence that people are frustrated about seal predation, not just eating and scaring the fish, but pushing them off their reds during the spawning season and disrupting their reproduction. The Scottish Government's world salmon strategy implementation plan does rightly seek a review of the seal licensing system, but it commits to developing non-lethal methods of control, which is disappointing, as we already know, but these measures do not work effectively. Local businesses are already reporting a loss of custom due to the shocking decline in numbers. Fishing plays a vital role in our rural economy, attracting tourists from all over the world and supporting hundreds of jobs at local businesses. I hope that the Scottish Government will take serious action to tackle all predators that are disrupting wildlife in our rivers. I have also worked with scientists in the community who are concerned about pharmaceuticals in the water. Increases in antibiotics and estrogenic hormones can be very harmful to local wildlife, but there is no reference to that in the Government's plan, so I would ask the Scottish Government to address that. Now I turn to the concern of pollution in our rivers. Less than 4 per cent of overflows are monitored compared to over 90 per cent in England and Wales. We know that SEPA's licensing conditions do not currently require Scottish Water to report discharge data on either the river Don or the river Dee in my constituency. When Scottish Water confirmed the priority locations, identified for the new 1,000 spill monitors, the closest location to the north east was the Invergarry burn in Dundee. Whilst £500 million for improving urban water route map might sound impressive, the funding is supposed to last until 2027 and does not promise anything for rural communities. It is clear that the SNP Government is not doing enough to treat declining salmon numbers and it is not doing enough to monitor sewage pollution. With rivers like the Dee in the Don being vital areas for salmon and conservation, water quality testing and sewage monitoring should be undertaken regularly. The monitored overflows in Scotland are discharged in excess of 47 billion litres of untreated sewage into rivers, locks and coastal waters in 2022 alone. The exact number is likely to be much higher, given that so few of those overflows are monitored. The fact of the matter is that the data presented by the SNP Government cannot reflect the true picture because they simply are not monitoring rivers across Scotland. Our rivers are a vital resource in our fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, because our river systems provide a crucial habitat to countless species, as well as the interconnected species such as sea trout, Atlantic salmon and fresh water pearl mussels referenced in today's motions. Our rivers are also home to a wide range of insect and plant life, all of which contribute to the health of our wider environment and, ultimately, to our food security and our public health. Labour welcomes Scottish Waters improving urban waters route map and associated investment, but we must also address the complex problems that are in danger in wildlife, preventing biodiversity recovery and risking our health. In 2021, the longest sewage overflow event in duration was reported in Aberdeen in my region. Sewage reportedly spilled into the River D for more than four months straight, shocking 130 days from April to September. However, the truly shocking event is that the volume of waste was not recorded. We know that sewage overflows can cause algae blooms, loss of biodiversity and introduce other pollution into our rivers. It is not just nature that suffers, it is our quality of life. Our waterways are a source of recreational enjoyment for many of us. We were reminded during the pandemic just how crucial access to nature is to our health and wellbeing. It is clear that monitoring of overflows must improve, but that cannot happen without the installation of spill monitors. In December 2021, Scottish Water vowed to increase the number of storm drain monitors to more than 1,000 by the end of 2024. However, as of 1 March this year, not a single new device had been installed. When I asked the First Minister to confirm exactly how many of those 1,000 storm drain monitors he expected to be installed by the end of this year, he could not give me a figure. It does little to reassure my constituents in the north-east that an event like that four-month spill in the River Dee will not happen again, so I hope that the Minister will provide the chamber with an update on the progress of that work today. The importance of affording the highest possible protection to our natural environment cannot be overstated. However, that is not currently the case for Scotland's waters. Parliament has previously heard that untreated human waste was discharged into Scotland's waters more than 10,000 times in a single year. Our rivers are part of a rich water network that connects habitats, species and life across the country, so even where sewage is not discharged directly into our rivers, the impact is still felt in them. For the sake of our health, our wellbeing and the future of our environment, regulation of Scotland's waters must be driven by four core principles—keeping Scotland's water in public hands, ensuring access to clean water for local communities, protecting public health and protecting Scotland's natural environment so that next year's World Rivers Day can truly be a celebration of our rivers. Having had the privilege of living on the banks of River Teath for 15 years, I learnt very quickly that rivers really help to change the whole perception of the natural world and the environment around them. They become far more aware of changing seasons and storm surges and droughts and the impacts on the river. You get to know the wonderful creatures that live in and around the river as well, so it is an amazing experience. I really enjoyed hearing from Evelyn Tweed about the beavers that have been reintroduced to Argyty and how they are thriving now. I am proud to support the Bowsers to get that licence over many years and congratulate the Minister for finally getting that over the line. It has been a success and there is not any conflict with surrounding landowners. All we are left now is with the site of the beavers at the ponds but also the amazing benefits that it is bringing to the natural environment as well. It is a great success. In recent years, I think that we have all become increasingly more aware of our rivers because there is this growing movement of wild swimmers who are swimming in our locks and rivers and seas. Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of meeting a group of wild swimmers from Fife. The group held a wild swim in the River Tay earlier this year but, unfortunately, many of the people who were swimming got ill, potentially due to a sewage spill from a combined sewage outflow at Stanley on the River Tay. Their main ask of Scottish Water is to provide that monitoring and accessible public information that Mercedes-Balabra spoke about so that they know when there is an increased risk of pollution. At present, less than 4 per cent of the CSOs in Scotland are monitored and reported. I learned from the Marine Conservation Society that only 11 out of the 496 outflow sites in my region are monitored, with over 1,300 spillages recorded in 2022. A number of the freshwater habitats that we have in Scotland have deteriorating water quality because of the sewage outflows and also because of phosphorus and agricultural run-off or new developments. The monitoring is really important to find out what is going on, but we also need to get to the root cause of the problem and invest in the solutions. One effective way to do that is to expand the network of designated bathing water sites to encourage that investment between SIPA and Scottish Water. Bailing water designations are not just for coastal beaches. We have some fresh water sites that have been designated, but they are still quite low in numbers in Scotland. I think that joint work between SIPA, Scottish Water and other stakeholders to monitor and improve water quality has resulted in dramatic improvements in many areas that have been designated. For those who do full short of the required standard, it drives that targeted investment. However, the guidelines for designating sites in Scotland require that each site receives at least 150 daily visitors, which does deter applications. That is one reason why, according to SIPA, only six bathing water applications were received in the last five years in Scotland. If you compare that with England, England has no threshold for visitors, so it is clearly an easier application process. I want to briefly highlight the LEVAN programme, which brings together landowners, restoration specialists, local community and others to restore the river in Fife for the benefit of local people and wildlife. Historically, of course, everyone will know that the LEVAN played an important role in powering industry, but through this programme, there are plans to restore habitats by planting river woodlands along and within the river, modifying dams to make it easier for fish to migrate, create pondid areas for wildlife and, critically, to improve public access. This work all connects with the programme to reopen the LEVANmouth rail route, so it is a great example of joined-up thinking and investment. I hope that all rivers in Scotland will have, in time, the opportunity for restoration that the LEVAN has. I thank once again Jackie Dunbar for giving me the opportunity to highlight a few of the issues at stake here. I congratulate my friend and colleague Jackie Dunbar for bringing the motion-marking world rivers day 2023 forward. We can both boast, as Jackie Dunbar alluded to earlier, that, as north-east MSPs, we have two magnificent rivers day in the dawn running through our respective constituencies. The motion is comprehensive and rightly reflects why Scotland is renowned for its fresh waters. It provides our drinking water, it is used to generate electricity, it is essential for the production of our whisky, and it provides a home to iconic species such as the Atlantic salmon and the freshwater pearl mussel. Free flowing rivers mean that water can move downstream freely, thereby allowing fish to migrate without restriction and invertebrates, such as the freshwater pearl mussel to thrive. I have lasting and vivid memories of my granny wearing a simple string of perils from the magnificent River Tey, where I spent much of my childhood, and the significance of them passed me by at that time. However, in later life they have taken on a whole new meaning. It will come, therefore, as no surprise, as has been highlighted, I am absolutely delighted to be nature champion for the freshwater pearl mussel. Freshwater pearl mussels are one of the UK's most threatened species. Scotland holds almost half the global population. They are fully protected, making it illegal to take them from a river. This summer, I had the pleasure of joining Craig McAdam of Bug Life and Susan Cooksley of the James Hutton Institute. We were also joined by Edwin III of the River Dee Trust on the River Dee, where I was so lucky to see freshwater pearl mussels in situ, in their natural environment, thriving and safe. It was truly remarkable and an absolute privilege to hold a mussel estimated to be around about 68 years old. That may be the one and only time that I agree with Alexander Burnett, but sadly through various threats such as poaching, water pollution, loss of habitat and climate change, the freshwater pearl mussel is now classified as endangered. How can we preserve not only this vulnerable species, but other wildlife species reliant on our rivers? During my day out, I also had the pleasure of visiting the Easter Bellty Burnett, a restoration project near Torfins, which returned from a straightened agricultural stream to a natural meandering course, improving habitats for nature and boosting climate resilience. The project has created an over two-kilometre stretch of meandering river corridor, flowing through 10 hectares of flood plain, which is rich in habitats where nature can thrive. I would encourage all members to visit it at some point. It is truly beautiful. It is for this reason that nature-based solutions will be crucial in recovering not only Scotland's freshwater pearl mussel population but our wider wildlife populations. The Scottish Government has enacted additional measures to improve freshwater pearl mussel population levels supported by the commitment of organisations such as the James Hutton Institute, the River Deed Trust and many others. The aim is to reintroduce mussels to rivers where they had once been extinct and outlawing the disturbance, injury, theft or killing of freshwater pearl mussels. I hope that, with the aid of those measures, we will soon see growing numbers again of the pearl mussel. In closing, it is imperative that we maintain the biodiversity of Scottish rivers and I welcome the efforts made by the Scottish Government and all stakeholders to achieve that. I thank Jackie Dunbar for tabling the member's debate. I look forward to celebrating World Rivers Day this weekend with a walk at the River Deed. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Scotland's rivers define our iconic landscapes, from mountain tributaries to estuaries flowing into the oceans. They provide vital water and rich habitats and help us to adapt to global threats, including climate change and water scarcity. As Mark Angelo, founder of World Rivers Day, puts it, rivers are the arteries of our planet. They are the lifelines in the truest sense. We have many innovative initiatives under way in Scotland to nurture, improve and protect our rivers, and I am proud to be able to outline a few of those today. Working with the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency to implement river basin management plans, we are investing £4 million this year to continue the work of the Water Environment Fund. The Water Environment Fund restores access to rivers for migratory fish, including salmon, by removing barriers to fish's passage. It also restores urban rivers, providing multiple benefits for biodiversity, climate change adaptation, leisure and flood management. Since 2021, the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund has also awarded in excess of £2.3 million for projects to restore and revive river habitats and improve their resilience to climate change. I was delighted to visit the river Alman to see this work in action and to celebrate the Seafield Wear Removal project. I have also visited restoration projects along the D and the Dawn. The re-meandering of the river to allow for the spawning habitats, the embedding of felled trees into the base of the river to allow for habitats for invertebrates for spawning and the planting along the side of the river to provide that shading and to provide those animal habitats. It is glorious to see those rivers coming back to life. The Scottish Government is also working closely with partners to develop integrated catchment management techniques to restore rivers and improve natural flood management. We take the issue of declining populations of wild Atlantic salmon very seriously. Our wild salmon strategy is working with multiple partners to ensure the protection and recovery of this iconic species. I take a different view from my colleague Alexander Burnett about the primacy of seal predation on Atlantic salmon. There are human impacts on these species as well as climate impacts, and it is important that we look at all of these issues in the round in order to restore this iconic species to Scotland's rivers. A priority theme is improving the condition of rivers and giving salmon free access to cold, clean water. They are so sensitive to climate change. Our actions to achieve this are wide-ranging, supporting salmon recovery and benefiting wider river biodiversity. All these actions that we take that are good for salmon are good for other species as well, including the critically endangered freshwater pearl mussel. We are also committed to ensuring that our efforts are informed by the latest scientific evidence. Earlier this month, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands announced funding of over £500,000 to allow Scotland's network of fisheries boards and river trusts to monitor salmon this year. I know that there has been much concern raised by members specifically around the matter of sewage spills and overflows, especially on to our beaches and into our rivers. The distressing waste that we find is a sanitary waste. I was this morning participating in a beach clean where we were picking up that kind of sanitary waste. It is absolutely distressing. I know that it is for everyone that these incidents occur. Scottish Water has reduced environmental pollution incidents by 60 per cent over the last decade, from 800 each year to fewer than 300. That is despite increasingly challenging weather patterns. That is an on-going project. Scottish Water has invested around £880 million in the period of 2010 to 2021 on targeted improvements to environmental quality. It is also investing an extra £0.5 billion over the period of 2021 to 2087, as part of its improving urban waters roadmap. As some of the members in the chamber raised today, including Mercedes Villalba, I will respond to her question, which is that, through comprehensive asset studies, Scottish Water is identifying the right locations for increased monitoring to maximise the benefit to our environment and to ensure value for money. I am pleased to confirm that they expect to install more than 1,000 additional monitors by August 2024, which is ahead of the timetable set-out in the route map. I am so excited by this debate today, Presiding Officer, because it provided such an enthusiastic discussion of biodiversity. Members have mentioned otters, water voles, beavers, herons, salmon, trout, dragonflies and, of course, the pearl muscle. I will add another species to that. This morning, on the beach clean that I was part of, I heard the announcement that oysters have been returned to the fourth. They have been extinct in the fourth for 100 years, and despite finding piles and piles of oyster shells on the beach this morning, those are over 100 years old, but today this species is returning to the fourth. So much effort is being put into restoring our glorious rivers to what they should be. I was so excited to hear Evelyn's tweet stories about the beavers and that she noted how important they are for preventing flooding and for storing water during dry seasons. This is something that will become more and more crucial as climate change progresses. Our ability to manage water is tied up with how we manage the natural environment around our rivers. That includes managing river temperatures, which I know some of my colleagues have raised the issue of. So many species are sensitive to the temperature of the water in our rivers. By shading the rivers and planting along the banks, ensuring that there are obstructions within the water that can provide shade and cool spots for important species such as salmon to spawn, we are restoring that natural balance. We are on a journey in Scotland to progress and improve our biodiversity, to improve our clean water, to make sure that there is clean water everywhere and that the standard of our rivers is very high. We want to see thriving nature throughout Scotland and businesses and communities to be able to enjoy and benefit from our rivers. Thank you very much to colleagues today for bringing this debate and congratulations to Jackie Dunbar.