Reduce marine litter and marine plastics by implementing the Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland (published 2022) through a six-year action plan that includes: {supporting the improvement of waste management for end of life fishing gear. Enable improved plastic pellet handling and management across the plastics supply chain to reduce pellet loss, and provide guidance to support pellet clean up in the environment.
Objective 1: Accelerate ecosystem restoration and regeneration
Priority Action 4. Improve Resilience in Coastal and Marine Systems by reducing pressures and increase and safeguard space for coastal habitat change
Implementation of the Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland (2022) is underway through its six-year action plan. This includes actions to improve end-of-life management of fishing gear, reduce plastic waste, and address plastic pellet loss across the supply chain.
Measures include support for better waste handling in the fishing industry, initiatives to reduce marine plastics, and guidance on pellet management and clean-up. Delivery is ongoing across multiple sectors and depends on industry uptake, behaviour change, and effective enforcement.
While these actions are being progressed, there is currently limited published evidence demonstrating measurable biodiversity outcomes from implementation.
Actions are in place across multiple sectors, including improved waste handling in fisheries, supply chain measures for pellet loss reduction, and guidance for clean-up and prevention. Delivery depends on industry uptake, enforcement, and behaviour change across sectors. However, there is currently limited published evidence showing measurable improvements in marine biodiversity condition directly linked to implementation of these measures, as ecological outcomes are still emerging. Full implementation could reduce plastic pollution pressures on marine ecosystems, improve habitat quality, and reduce ingestion and entanglement risks for marine species.
Scottish Government – Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland (2022)
Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill consultation (includes plastics and waste measures)
Scotland’s Circular Economy Strategy
Identify and address gaps in current evidence on coastal habitats, through research and monitoring as an enabling action for all coastal biodiversity actions (2024-2028) and fund research commencing in 2024 into better quantifying the adaptation benefits of coastal landforms and habitats to maximise biodiversity benefits.
Complete an initial prioritisation exercise identifying accommodation space to be protected for coastal habitat change to promote recovery and adaptation, and identify potential future mechanism(s) to deliver recovery and adaptation, including agricultural subsidies.
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