On 17 June 2013, Leaders of the three island Councils – Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council – launched Our Islands Our Future, setting out their vision for a stronger future for the islands. This included consideration of:
- Control of the seabed around the islands, allowing revenues currently paid to the Crown Estate to be channelled into local needs.
- New grid connections to the Scottish mainland to allow world class wave, tidal and wind energy resources to generate maximum benefits for the islands.
- New fiscal arrangements to allow the islands to benefit more directly from the harvesting of local resources, including renewable energy and fisheries.
- Clear recognition of the status of the three island groups in the new Scottish Constitutional Settlement and within the European Governance Framework.
Also, “island proofing” – awareness of the needs of islands built into Government policy making. Instead of Council’s having to react and argue the case for islands in response to proposed legislation already drawn up by Governments, “island proofing” would see Governments by actively considering the special circumstances of islands during the early stages of policy development.
This was followed by the ‘Lerwick Declaration’ made in response to the campaign. In July 2013, the then First Minister, on behalf of the Scottish Government, announced the establishment of a Ministerial Working Group (the Island Areas Ministerial Working Group) to look at further empowerment for island communities.
The Our Islands Our Future Conference in Kirkwall in September 2013 which brought together politicians, academics, and experts for two days of debate. The event is hailed as major milestone on the road to delivering more powers to the islands.