That the Parliament believes that Scotland has abundant rivers and streams, which
support a diverse ecosystem and are the lifeblood of the landscape and central
to the nation's brand, economy and sense of place; considers that they are now
one of the country's most nature-depleted and endangered habitats; believes
that this has arisen from a range of factors, including major flood events,
water scarcity and increasing temperatures; expresses its concern regarding
what it sees as the devastating decline in the population of freshwater pearl
mussels in Scotland's rivers, including the River Dee, which flows through the
Aberdeen South and North Kincardine constituency; notes the commitment of
organisations, including the James Hutton Institute, Dee Catchment Partnership,
Dee District Salmon Fishery Board and Cairngorm National Park Authority, to
make the freshwaters and freshwater pearl mussel population more resilient to
extreme climate events; believes that there is an opportunity provided by the
Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill to establish a legal framework for
biodiversity targets, including in the freshwater ecosystem to ensure healthy
invertebrate diversity as an integral part of a fully functioning ecosystem;
welcomes the Programme for Government commitment to extend the Nature
Restoration Fund to enable funding of multi-year projects to help deliver the
priorities set out in the Biodiversity Strategy, and commends everyone working
to restore and protect Scotland’s rivers.