Scotland's Marine Bill received Royal Assent on Wednesday 10th March, marking a major turning point in safeguarding the future of Scotland seas and laying the foundations for a more simplified marine planning and licensing system.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our campaign in Scotland. In the weeks leading up to the February vote, well over six thousand emails and letters were sent to MSPs by members of the public calling for the Bill to be strengthened leaving them in no doubt that their constituents demanded a strong Marine (Scotland) Act. The newly enacted legislation puts in place a planning system to help manage Scotland’s marine environment in a sustainable way, a requirement for environmental targets to be incorporated into marine plans, a duty to set up a network of marine protected areas in Scottish inshore waters that also contributes to a UK network and a general duty on Scottish Ministers to protect and improve the health of Scotland’s seas.
Our Marine Policy Officer for Scotland, Rory Crawford said:
“It is our hope that this most welcome Act delivers for Scotland’s incredible wildlife, including almost half of the EU’s breeding seabirds. In recent years, there have been worrying declines in seabird populations - thought to be the result of climate change disrupting the plankton community, adversely impacting on sandeels and, in turn, the birds dependent on these small fish for prey. The Marine (Scotland) Act won’t stop climate change, but it does provide us with a crucial opportunity to make our invaluable marine life more resilient to a whole host of other pressures.”