Recovering Scotland’s Marine Environment is an independent report by Dr David Hughes and Dr Thom Nickell from the Scottish Association for Marine Science.
Focusing on features for which there is good evidence of decline, the report makes a strong case that Scotland’s marine environment is in a far from pristine state and is in real need of recovery. Many habitats and species have been seriously depleted over a long period as a result of human activities, fragile habitats are particularly vulnerable to some mobile fishing gear, while the discharge of organic waste and water-borne chemical contaminants can also lead to the depletion of certain species. Unsustainable fishing practices have led to the decline of some fish stocks.
See also: press release