David Nairn

I have lived in Fairlie, a small coastal village in North Ayrshire, for the past 4 years.
I am a marine ecologist and commercial skipper. I manage Clyde Porpoise Community Interest Company, a grassroots community project, engaged in long term marine mammal and environmental monitoring of the Clyde. We conduct acoustic monitoring surveys and have produced unequivocal evidence that the Clyde is an important habitat, and should be recognised for its harbour porpoise population. We work in partnership with research scientists, environmental authorities and provide information to better inform North Ayrshire’s Local Biodiversity Action Plan and the Clyde marine spatial planning framework.
I am an active community councillor in Fairlie, a committee member for Friends of the Firth of Clyde and a community representative on the Hunterston PARC Site Liaison Group. I participate in community focussed activities including voluntary and project work with groups such as Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme and Scottish Coastal Communities Network. During my spare time i can be found clearing plastic from beaches and I regularly take volunteers, refugees, disadvantaged people and community groups out on our survey boat to provide biodiversity awareness trips.
I actively campaign on many marine issues at local and national level. As part of my activities with the Friends of the Firth of Clyde I am currently campaigning for meaningful environmental appraisal of the impacts associated with the Hunterston oil rig decommissioning yard proposals. The developers’ proposals will involve the destructive dredging of Southannan Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest and threatens the existence of rare seagrass and native oyster beds. I believe Ayrshire and Hunterston is the wrong choice for this activity and am encouraging alternative proposals that are better aligned with the environmental sensitivities of the area. I believe there are massive opportunities for job creation and huge potential for positive social impacts across Ayrshire and campaigning for the site to be developed in accordance with Scottish Green New Deal aspirations.