Crown Dependency of Forvik Island Media Brief
Release Date/time 14:00 2nd October 2008.
Source: Forvik Press Office.
Subject: The Saudi Arabia of Marine Power
Contacts: Stuart Hill +44 (0)1950 477829
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In reply to the announcement that the Crown Estates and the Scottish Executive plan to turn the Pentland Firth into the ‘Saudi Arabia of marine power’, Stuart Hill is making a legal challenge to the right of either authority to use at least part of those waters for such a purpose.
In defence of his position, Mr. Hill quotes, amongst other documentation, the 1669 Act of Annexation which, he says, declares Orkney and Shetland a direct dependency of the Crown and makes it impossible for Orkney and Shetland to have been included in the Act of Union. The implications are that the islands do not have to recognise the UK government or the EU as their superior and that the seas and sea bed surrounding them belong to the people of the islands.
He said: "It is the arrogance displayed here that is so breathtaking. Just the same as that showed by the UK government in appropriating Shetland’s seabed for oil exploration in the 1960s. This Orkney’s resource, not Scotland’s"
He continued: "I have written to the Crown Estates and the Scottish Executive reminding them that neither they, nor the UK government has ever acquired the ownership necessary for this project to go ahead in Orkney waters. These authorities are well aware that the pawning agreement of 1468/69 only enabled the Crown at that time to hold in trust ‘the King’s lands’ in the islands. The rest of Orkney and Shetland were, and are, held absolutely by other landowners. The surrounding seas and sea bed are owned individually and collectively by the people of the islands. There is no mechanism by which the Crown could have acquired the ultimate ownership necessary to incorporate Orkney and Shetland into the realm. If the Crown Estates persist in pretending to own this piece of sea bed, they are committing a fraudulent act. I am fully in favour of marine renewable energy and I will do everything in my power to prevent Orkney being cheated in the same way that Shetland was."
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.forvik.com
ENDS
Click for a copy of the letter.
Click for extracts from the 1669 Act and a link to the complete text.
Release Date/time 14:00 2nd October 2008.
Source: Forvik Press Office.
Subject: The Saudi Arabia of Marine Power
Contacts: Stuart Hill +44 (0)1950 477829
Comments, replies to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
In reply to the announcement that the Crown Estates and the Scottish Executive plan to turn the Pentland Firth into the ‘Saudi Arabia of marine power’, Stuart Hill is making a legal challenge to the right of either authority to use at least part of those waters for such a purpose.
In defence of his position, Mr. Hill quotes, amongst other documentation, the 1669 Act of Annexation which, he says, declares Orkney and Shetland a direct dependency of the Crown and makes it impossible for Orkney and Shetland to have been included in the Act of Union. The implications are that the islands do not have to recognise the UK government or the EU as their superior and that the seas and sea bed surrounding them belong to the people of the islands.
He said: "It is the arrogance displayed here that is so breathtaking. Just the same as that showed by the UK government in appropriating Shetland’s seabed for oil exploration in the 1960s. This Orkney’s resource, not Scotland’s"
He continued: "I have written to the Crown Estates and the Scottish Executive reminding them that neither they, nor the UK government has ever acquired the ownership necessary for this project to go ahead in Orkney waters. These authorities are well aware that the pawning agreement of 1468/69 only enabled the Crown at that time to hold in trust ‘the King’s lands’ in the islands. The rest of Orkney and Shetland were, and are, held absolutely by other landowners. The surrounding seas and sea bed are owned individually and collectively by the people of the islands. There is no mechanism by which the Crown could have acquired the ultimate ownership necessary to incorporate Orkney and Shetland into the realm. If the Crown Estates persist in pretending to own this piece of sea bed, they are committing a fraudulent act. I am fully in favour of marine renewable energy and I will do everything in my power to prevent Orkney being cheated in the same way that Shetland was."
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.forvik.com
ENDS
Click for a copy of the letter.
Click for extracts from the 1669 Act and a link to the complete text.
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