News
Website and Outlook - Distruption
04/09/2019As you may know the website was down at the beginning of the week but this has now been resolved and the site is available again. Unfortunately outlook is only receiving emails at the moment.
If you have sent an email and not yet received a reply, please be patient as you should hopefully get a response later today. If your enquiry is urgent please contact HQ on 0131 625 4404
regards
HQ
AGM
27/08/2019The date for the ScotSAC AGM has been set for Wednesday the 30th October 2019. To be held at ScotSAC headquarters, Caledonia House.
Please be there for 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Light refreshments will be available.
Office Closure
04/04/2019Please note the office will be closed from Wednesday 25/12/2019 - until Monday 06/01/2020
In case of an emergency contact ndo@scotsac.com
Illegal scallop dredging in Marine Protected Areas
19/12/2018
You may have seen David Ainsley on TV talking about having recently seen a boat apparently scallop dredging in the Marine Protected area around the Garvellachs.
Many ScotSAC divers will be familiar with this area and be aware of the recovery the seabed has undergone over the years when the area has been protected from scallop dredging.
Following a meeting in Oban which included many interested parties such as scallop divers, sports divers , creel fishers and Coastal Community groups a statement has been prepared and sent to Rosanna Cunningham and Fergus Ewing and other appropriate politicians.
There are existing laws to protect these areas and they are not being enforced.
David believes there have been nearly 100 reports of suspected illegal dredging in MPAs between August 2015 and May 2018, but there have been very few prosecutions and only very small fines. Marine Scotland seem to be very reluctant to pursue these illegal activities.
ScotSAC has added it’s support to the statement but if anyone wants to lobby MSPs individually please feel free.
"NEWS FLASH" - CYLINDER TESTING
19/12/2018
The new BS EN ISO 18119:2018 Gas Cylinders-Seamless steel and seamless aluminium-alloy cylinders and tubes – Periodic inspection and testing has been issued which supersedes BS EN 1968:2002 and BS EN 1802:2002
The standard recommends:
‘Local regulations will specify the interval of periodic inspection and test. In the absence of any local regulation as a guide, an internal examination every year with a periodic inspection test as 5 yearly intervals should be carried out. However, if on completion of a risk assessment and the specific use of a cylinder indicates that there is a low risk of internal degradation then the interval for carrying out an internal examination can be increased to a maximum of 2.5 years.’
The last sentence was inserted at the last minute by the concerted efforts of the UK Recreational diving community, who have also prepared the attached Risk Assessment, which will mean that for the majority of ScotSAC members the current 2.5 year cycle will remain provided the good practice noted in the Risk Assessment is followed.
Members should be aware that these regulations will require cylinders to be tested annually unless compliance with best practice outlined in the risk assessment can be demonstrated.
Risk Based Assessment of Cylinder Internal Examination Periodicity