Tag: Marine Protected Areas

Scotland could avoid a fish fight

08 Mar 2013

A campaign like Hugh’s Fish Fight can be avoided in Scotland if Scottish Ministers keep their commitment to strong implementation of the Marine Act, say members of Scottish Environment LINK. Major concerns about marine protection in England and Wales have been raised by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s ‘Fish Fight’ campaign after initial plans for 127 marine […]

A Blanket Full of Holes

07 Jan 2013

Independent councillor for Lerwick South on Shetland Islands Council Dr Jonathan Wills argues that current plans risk creating conservation ‘islands’ in a sea of escalating industrial development… The crew of an alien spacecraft, entering the Earth’s atmosphere over the north of Scotland, could not fail to be impressed by the beauty of Shetland, Orkney and the […]

36,000 support MPAs for whales and dolphins

18 Dec 2012

WDC has handed over a huge 36,736 signatures from members of the public to Richard Lochhead, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, asking the Scottish Government to include whales and dolphins in Scotland’s new marine protected area network. The handover of the signatures at the Scottish parliament by WDC’s head of policy in […]

Look after the seabed and everybody benefits

16 Dec 2012

‘Protect your bottom line.’ It’s one of the oldest tenets in business; an essential reminder to look after what’s most important. If you don’t look after your bottom line, you might as well forget the rest. It’s a piece of financial wisdom that is extremely relevant to the health of our marine environment. And if […]

MPA proposals signal move towards recovery

14 Dec 2012

Plans announced today (14th December 2012) for 33 nature conservation Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been welcomed by a coalition of Scotland’s environmental groups as an important step towards the much-needed recovery of Scotland’s seas. Scottish Environment LINK’s marine taskforce contends that a network of Marine Protected Areas cannot afford to simply protect what’s left […]

The Benefits of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

06 Dec 2012

Picking up on recent research that looks at the economics of setting up a network of Scottish MPAs, Chris Williams of new economic foundation (nef) explains why the valuation of ‘ecosystems services’ are rising up everyone’s agenda. One must acknowledge the intrinsic value of nature. It is essential. It is priceless. However, in order to inform policy decisions […]

Scottish seabirds crying out for MPAs

05 Dec 2012

It’s a slightly scary image: an Arctic tern in full, squawking flight. But it’s not half as scary as the message it carries. For the past 30 years, Scottish populations of Sterna paradisaea have been in free-fall, plummeting by 72% to less than 50,000 breeding pairs. This is not an isolated story. Other Scottish seabird […]

Whales need help in busy seas

04 Dec 2012

This tail belongs to a Humpback whale. Not a lot of people know it, but these majestic mammals visit Scottish waters every year, as well as over 25 other species of whale and dolphin – from minke whales to harbour porpoises. And just as the whales and dolphins visit our seas, so do people – […]

Scottish MPA network could be worth £10 billion

03 Dec 2012

Creating a network of Scottish marine protected areas (MPAs) could provide benefits to Scotland to the tune of £10billion, and potentially more, according to a report published today. Much of Scotland’s marine environment is now recognised to be in a state of decline or concern. The report Valuing the Benefits of Designating a Scottish Network […]

Langoustines need a healthy seabed

03 Dec 2012

You’ll probably recognise this marine creature. It’s Nephrops norvegicus – known amongst many things as a Norwegian Lobster, prawn or langoustine. It lives in muddy seabeds around Scottish shores. It is also the second most commercially valuable species to the Scottish fishing fleet – in 2011 alone, landings totalled £84.3 million. Healthy habitat is vital […]

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