Regenerate the marine environment

Scotland’s proposed Marine Bill as it stands will only manage the status quo.

It will not bring about any improvement in the wider seas outside marine protected areas.

These are the principle conclusions of a report prepared for Scottish Environment LINK  by the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

The report, Recovering Scotland’s Marine Environment, here in pdf, calls for duties to be placed on Scottish ministers :

• to improve the health of Scotland’s seas.
• to draw up a national marine plan – which would cover activity allowed in all Scottish waters.

According to Calum Duncan, convener of LINK’s marine task force,  "If we want to see sustainable and growing industries based in the seas around Scotland – and to support the future of the communities around our coasts – we have to improve the quality of the marine environment.

“This report contains conclusive evidence that we have been going in the opposite direction for too many years and decades. “

The fact that in the past two decades 20 species of fish have become so depleted that in many areas they may be considered locally extinct or only exist in their juvenile state bears testimony to that statement.

Duncan continued, “LINK calls for clear assurances, from all political parties, that the central purpose of the Marine Bill before the Scottish Parliament will be to make our seas more healthy and full of life – and therefore more valuable.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We welcome this report, particularly the positive response to our proposals on new planning systems and Marine Protected Areas.” He said the comments would receive consideration as work continued to deliver a "highly ambitious and historic" bill.

Can the government deliver a major ‘U’ turn on the historically poor fisheries management and practices ?

Category: SSACN Announcements