The simmering debate over potential webcam sightings of the Loch Ness Monster has intensified as critics of such reports have now started a petition calling for these cases to be stricken from the official record. The effort is reportedly the work of a group of Nessie fans dubbed the Falkirk Boys, who say that they felt compelled to make such a bold appeal following last month's launch of five new live streams surrounding the iconic Scottish site. In their petition, which can be found here, they argue that webcam sightings are of such "poor quality" that they have "a detrimental impact on the standard and myth of Nessie."
To that end, they note that the organization behind the new livestreams, Visit Inverness Loch Ness, have even conceded that their HD cameras "will not always give a clear resolution" and that "the weather, wildlife and the odd paddle boarder" could be the cause of "strange movements on the loch" rather than the legendary 'monster.' With that in mind,the petition not only requests that sightings from the new webcams not be accepted by the Official Loch Ness Sightings Register, but it takes the critique a step further and calls for all prior reports to be removed from the proverbial historical record of Nessie cases.
While it remains to be seen whether or not previous reports will ultimately be expunged from the register, it would appear that cases from the new webcams are unlikely to wind up on the list going forward, due to a rather stringent requirement announced in a joint statement by Visit Inverness Loch Ness and Official Loch Ness Sightings Register. No doubt in response to a pair of possible livestream sightings made by online 'monster hunter' Eoin O'Faodhagain last week, they have indicated that a webcam report will now only be considered if one can capture "footage of clear facial features of an unknown creature."
Assuming that this near-impossible standard also applies to sightings recorded on the 'Nessie on the Net' livestream, it will assuredly upset those who have spent countless hours watching for the creature from the comfort of their home. On the other hand, it will undoubtedly satisfy the purists who contend that webcam sightings provide no evidentiary value in the search for the monster and, as such, wish to keep the record 'clean' of such nebulous reports. So while the debate over the quality of these cases will likely continue for quite some time, the question of whether they wind up being accepted as 'official' has been seemingly been settled as they apparently will not unless one can somehow manage to spot Nessie's face on the livestream.