Scotland’s seas are one of our greatest assets, with an area six times larger than its land and shores that make up an astonishing 10% of Europe’s coastline. Maritime heritage is key to Scotland’s cultural identity and has played an important role in shaping our communities, particularly those on its 90+ inhabited islands. But despite their significance, climate change, unsustainable fishing, industrial development and pollution has caused widespread degradation across marine ecosystems.
In 2020, LINK’s marine group published An Ocean Recovery Plan for Scotland, calling on the Scottish Government to take urgent action to restore the health of Scotland’s seas by 2030.
Progress towards the Ocean Recovery Plan asks between 2020 and 2024 has been independently reviewed, assessing the Scottish Government’s efforts towards achieving ocean recovery goals. This review marks an important checkpoint on Scotland’s journey to recover its marine ecosystems.