Assess the MPA network in respect of the resilience of marine biodiversity to climate change, based on the information and methodology from the regional assessment conducted by the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR).
Objective 2: Protect nature on land and at sea, across and beyond Protected Areas
Priority Action 8. Ensure that at least 30% of land, freshwater and sea is protected or conserved and effectively managed to support nature in good health by 2030 (30 by 30)
There is currently no dedicated public assessment of Scotland’s MPA network explicitly applying the OSPAR methodology to assess climate resilience. Scotland contributes to wider OSPAR assessments of marine biodiversity status and pressures, and these provide a regional evidence base. However, this has not been translated into a Scotland-specific resilience assessment of the MPA network. Recent progress has focused instead on implementing management measures, including the Offshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2025, which introduces restrictions on certain fishing activities in offshore MPAs. While these measures may support resilience indirectly, they do not constitute a formal resilience assessment. Overall, while relevant data and regional methodologies exist, there is no clear, published evaluation of how Scotland’s MPA network contributes to climate resilience using the OSPAR framework.
OSPAR’s regional assessment framework assesses marine ecosystem condition and resilience at a North-East Atlantic scale, providing a basis for evaluating how protected area networks contribute to climate adaptation through reduced pressures and maintained ecosystem function. NatureScot identifies that MPA habitats such as biogenic reefs, seagrass and sediment systems support biodiversity and ecosystem function, but their resilience depends on sustained reduction of pressures and maintenance of habitat condition.
Scottish Government policy confirms MPAs are intended to support marine biodiversity conservation and recovery, meaning their contribution to resilience is dependent on effective implementation of management measures. Incomplete or uneven implementation of fisheries measures reduces network coherence and limits ecological recovery potential under climate pressures. Overall, MPA contributions to climate resilience depend on effective, network-wide management rather than designation alone.
Scottish Government – Marine Protected Areas policy overview
NatureScot – Marine Protected Areas Advice
Scottish Environment LINK – Offshore MPA fisheries management consultation response
Ensure that at least 30% of land and sea is protected or conserved, as protected areas or Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), and effectively managed to support nature restoration.
Based on results from the current pilot, develop and implement a national Protected Areas monitoring programme to ensure that Protected Area sites deliver their objectives.
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