Shetland and Fair Isle Awarded Important Marine Mammal Area Status

That the Parliament congratulates Shetland and Fair Isle on being recognised as an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA); understands that IMMAs, an initiative of the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force, are defined as discrete portions of habitat, important to marine mammal species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation, and that they are identified in order to prioritise their consideration for conservation measures by governments, intergovernmental institutions, conservation groups and the general public; further understands that Shetland and Fair Isle are being recognised as an important area for the orca, harbour porpoise, minke whale and humpback whale, as well as supporting a huge diversity of other species; notes that Shetland and Fair Isle now join areas around the world with IMMA status, including Antarctica, Madagascar, Baja California and Patagonia; praises what it sees as the instrumental citizen science work from members of the public in collecting data to support the application for IMMA status, by submitting sightings records of marine mammals, particularly through the Shetland Orca Sightings Facebook Group; congratulates Karen Hall, Hugh Harrop, Rachel Shucksmith, Emma Steel, Debbie Russell and Peter Evans on compiling and submitting the citizen science data and other research in their successful application for Shetland and Fair Isle’s IMMA status; celebrates the new designation as a recognition of the rich marine biodiversity in Shetland and Fair Isle, and thanks the dedicated members of the public who record their marine mammal observations and the team who applied for IMMA status for their hard work.