Environment groups urge public to respond to consultation on Scotland’s seas
Leading environment charities have today (26 October) launched a major campaign action to help the public to respond to a large-scale Scottish government consultation on protections for Scotland’s seas. Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of more than 50 charities including the Marine Conservation Society and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, says the consultation is the biggest […]
Scotland can’t wait any longer to protect its seas
One of the brilliant things about living in Scotland is that you’re never all that far from the sea. Those of us who feel the sea’s call – and who in Scotland doesn’t – can get our fix of it without travelling a great distance. The seas around our jagged coastline are a place of […]
The elephant in the room when it comes to managing Scottish fisheries
Few industries are as woven into Scotland’s coastal identity as fishing and few face a more complex management challenge. The variety of different fishing methods and patterns that make up the fleet in Scotland need to be managed in different ways to lessen their interactions and impacts on the marine environment and support sustainable opportunities and coastal livelihoods. In reality, the approach to […]
Environment groups furious as marine protections delayed again
Environment charities have reacted with fury after the Scottish government announced yesterday that fisheries restrictions in marine protected areas, originally due to be implemented in 2016, are to be delayed for the fourth time. Yesterday Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, said a promised consultation on fisheries management measures for inshore marine […]
New management measures for Scotland’s seas beyond marine protected areas
The newly published proposals for protecting priority marine features outside of marine protected areas (MPAs), which are expected to open for formal public consultation in November along with proposals for fisheries restrictions for inshore MPAs, are designed to help close the gap that exists in protection.
Scottish deep sea protections: a welcome step after years of delay
The Scottish government announced new fisheries management measures for offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) on 1 September, marking an important step in fulfilling its obligations to protect marine wildlife across a large area of Scotland’s seas. Scotland’s offshore MPAs – those beyond 12 nautical miles from the shore – were designated more than 10 years ago [...]