Scotland’s environmental charities have welcomed today’s decision by the Scottish Government to more than double the size of an emerging network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In a bold move, Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead gave the go-ahead for 30 new MPAs to protect a further 12% of Scotland’s seas, as well as paving the way for urgent new measures to protect struggling populations of seabirds, whales and dolphins.
Members of Scottish Environment LINK’s marine taskforce have campaigned for stronger protection of Scotland’s sealife for over a decade and last year over 14,000 people backed proposals for new MPAs (more…)
In August 2013, the Scottish Government put forward proposals for a network of Marine Protected Areas via public consultation. We campaigned long and hard for the full range of MPAs to stay on the table prior to the consultation. In the three month consultation that followed, over 10,000 people responded in favour of Scottish MPAs, many via this website in support of a message of marine recovery. You can read the text of our campaign (more…)
This summer, the Scottish Government will set up as many as 33 new nature conservation Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scotland’s seas. This is a watershed moment for our seas, which have been damaged by decades of unsustainable use. Over 10,000 people voiced their support for MPAs during the Scottish consultation in 2013. The politicians are now deciding what MPAs to designate – so this is a crucial time to remember why we need MPAs.
For the months of June and July we will be highlighting each of the proposed MPAs with a few vital facts about each MPA – an online summer study in marine conservation! If you support MPAs, share this around via Facebook and Twitter.(more…)
The Nature of Scotland Awards 2014 are now open for entries! The awards celebrate excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in Scottish nature conservation, and nominations are welcomed across eight categories:
Marine Conservation; Sustainable Development; Politician of the Year; Innovation; Outstanding Contribution; RSPB Species Champion; Community Initiative; Youth and Education.
The Marine Conservation Award recognises an outstanding contribution to the conservation of sustainable management of Scotland’s precious marine resources. Last year’s winner, Nick Riddiford, has worked tirelessly to establish better marine protection around Fair Isle. The Fair Isle Marine Environment & Tourism Initiative is a management regime sympathetic to the long-term needs of the sea and its users; most particularly the island community for whom a healthy, protected marine environment is socially and economically essential.
This year RSPB Scotland is looking for another marine conservation hero. (more…)
As the building blocks for a network of MPAs develop, a new paper by Heriot Watt researcher Kate Gormley[1] explores what considerations for management are affected by network design.
Human activities now place heavy pressures on marine ecosystems around the world and, as a result, there has been an unprecedented increase in proposed Marine Protected Areas. Scientists have previously considered what MPAs may achieve and how they might be distributed to achieve the set biological objectives for those specific areas and minimise social and economic impacts. In the present study, however, we have considered the longer-term effort required to manage MPAs and the consequences of selecting one MPA over another with differing conservation objectives, at different locations and different proximities to human activities. (more…)
A report published today reveals how Scottish Government plans to create a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) have received the popular backing of people from across Scotland. Save Scottish Seas campaigners contend there is now a strong democratic duty, as well urgent ecological need, to set up MPAs to help recover Scotland’s damaged sealife.
Over 14,000 people responded to the public consultation on proposals for 33 new MPAs last summer, the vast majority of which indicated popular support for stronger protection of Scotland’s sealife with a full network. We are now urging the Scottish Government to take heed of public opinion and secure a network that will help the seas recover from centuries of over-exploitation. We argue that Scottish legislation passed by MSPs in 2010 places an overriding legal duty on Ministers to both protect and enhance Scotland’s marine environment.
For the past seven years, WWF has spread the worrying word about climate change by encouraging people around the world to reduce the energy consumption and take practical action for one hour by turning off their lights. Hopefully one day, all diaries, calendars and year-planners on the planet will have Earth Hour inked into the slot on the last Saturday in March, alongside St Patrick’s Day and other worldwide festivals. But as a new, present-day tradition is created, there are probably still a few organisations which are unlikely ever to be able to take part in Earth Hour. One that springs to mind is the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB). I don’t think it would (more…)
The Scottish Government has recently consulted on the first ever National Marine Plan for Scotland, and the detail of this plan is currently being drafted. We are writing a series of articles to highlight why ecosystem-led planning is essential for the success of our marine environment and economy. In this article, we look at the spectrum of environmental considerations for developing marine renewable energy, and how Scotland would benefit from more coordinated environmental data-gathering.
It’s a staggering fact, but Scotland’s sea area is six times the size of its terrestrial land mass. Its territorial waters bulge westwards beyond Rockall to a distance of 550 miles from the mainland (more…)
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
Scotland’s environmental charities have welcomed today’s decision by the Scottish Government to more than double the size of an emerging network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In a bold move, Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead gave the go-ahead for 30 new MPAs to protect a further 12% of Scotland’s seas, as well as paving the way for urgent new measures to protect struggling populations of seabirds, whales and dolphins.
