News / SIC urges dog owner to ‘clean it up’, impact of coronavirus to be investigated, further call for halt remote tower plans, CLAN support, learning about fish
WITH people walking their dogs more regularly as one way of attaining relief from the lockdown, council staff are receiving an increasing number of reports of dog fouling.
Staff have been out cleaning some problem areas, including footpaths around Clickimin, the Knab and the Sletts in Lerwick.
Signage has been placed on bus stops, posts and pavements to remind dog owners to pick up after their dog.
Environmental health team leader David Robertson said: “While most dog owners are responsible individuals, there are still some who do not clean up after their pets.
“Dog fouling is unpleasant and is a public health hazard, with a risk of worms and infections being passed on to people and other animals.
“It is an offence to not clean up after your dog and owners can be fined up to £80. We’d like to remind owners to ensure that they dispose of their dog’s poo safely, in any suitable waste bin or buried in the garden at home.”
The impact of Covid-19 on Scotland’s transport services and the rural economy is to be investigated by MSPs.
Views are sought on the impact of the emergency and the implications for public transport of easing the lockdown over the coming weeks and months.
The rural economy and connectivity committee will also explore how agriculture and fisheries in Scotland have been affected by the crisis and whether these sectors have received sufficient support to deal with the unprecedented challenges caused by Covid-19.
Individuals, businesses and other stakeholders are invited to highlight specific issues and questions they would wish to be considered by the committee.
Its convener Edward Mountain MSP said: “The committee wants to hear about the experiences of individuals and businesses and whether they feel they have received the support they need to survive and recover from this crisis.
“We also want to learn about examples of good practice as we consider what lessons can be learned about the response to the pandemic and also how existing practices may need to change as we move forward.”
SHETLAND MSP Beatrice Wishart has added her voice to calls for Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) to halt plans to centralise air traffic control after a tender for the works was issued before an island impact assessment was completed.
In a letter to the Inglis Lyon, the chief executive of the government-owned company, Wishart wrote said at this stage it “makes a mockery of island proofing”.
She also highlighted that there has been opposition to the move in all three island local authorities.
The Shetland MSP added: “Whilst modernisation of air traffic control is necessary, remote towers are not. An island impact assessment should have been carried out when those plans were first being developed.
“With HIAL actively tendering for works for the project, I have little confidence that the report commissioned will say anything other than press ahead. What kind of meaningful consultation can there be during the coronavirus pandemic?”
CLAN has moved to reassure people affected by cancer that the charity continues to offer support on the phone while its offices in Lerwick and Aberdeen are closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The charity’s chief executive Colette Backwell said: “All charities are facing real difficulty during this pandemic, but at CLAN we are holding firm.
“As it is clear that the virus is not going way, we have decided to temporarily close our CLAN Haven centre in Aberdeen to allow us to review our operating procedures and to ensure effective social distancing is in place, and also to give us time to source the PPE we will need to protect the safety, health and well-being of cancer patients and our staff.”
She said the Aberdeen facility would reopen as soon as cancer treatments resume and the appropriate measures are in place.
CLAN offers support via telephone calls in Shetland on 01595 697275.
PUPILS in Shetland can now learn more about the isles’ various sectors of the seafood industry and its heritage thanks to a new online learning initiative.
Downloadable worksheets, quizzes and other creative challenges have been compiled as part of the seafood industry’s So Much To Sea campaign.
Seafood Shetland chief executive Ruth Henderson said its School of Fish initiative was designed to help parents find new ways to engage, entertain and educate their children in the current circumstances.
“Our industry has so many incredible stories to tell, facts to uncover, and history to discover, and this School of Fish initiative will, we hope, not only prove fun and educational, but will also inspire our young people.”
The material can be found at https://www.somuchtosea.co.uk/educational-resources/
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