Marine Protected Areas

The Scottish Marine Protected Area network

MCS in Scotland successfully campaigned for the Marine (Scotland) Act, which gained Royal Assent in March 2010. Among other important provisions, it requires Scottish Ministers to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas in Scottish inshore waters (0 to 12 nautical miles). Along with the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (which applies from 12 to 200nm), Scottish Ministers can now therefore designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for nationally important marine habitats and species, and features of geological and geomorphological interest throughout all of Scotland's seas, from 0 to 200 nautical miles to form a network.

Marine Scotland¹ has finalised criteria for selecting Scottish MPAs throughout Scotland's seas with advice from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) for inshore waters and JNCC for offshore waters. A consultation on these new MPA criteria and a marine nature conservation strategy for Scotland, to which MCS in Scotland input, closed early in 2010. Marine Scotland are also developing a stakeholder engagement plan, which will set out how all user interests will be engaged in the process of developing the Scottish MPA network. Third parties, including community groups, should be able to submit proposals for consideration as nature conservation or demonstration & research MPAs. We are still awaiting this guidance although have already contributed to two MPA workshops on marine biological data and least damaged/more natural areas organised by Marine Scotland.

How MCS Members Are Getting Involved?

MCS members can visit www.yourseasyourvoice.com to suggest possible Scottish MPAs. We offered the information gathered as a contribution to the MPA and marine planning processes in Scotland, for example by highlighting unsurveyed sites that merit further investigation by Marine Scotland or providing information to help Scottish Ministers choose between ecologically-equivalent sites. Marine Scotland has since confirmed they would welcome our Your Seas Your Voice information to feed into the wider process of identifying and preparing socio-economic impact assessments of Scottish MPA proposals now that process is underway.

Contacts

Marine Scotland
www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Directorates/Wealthier-and-Fairer/marine-scotland
Email: marinescotland@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Tel: 0131 244 5181

¹ Marine Scotland is a Directorate of the Scottish Government bringing together the functions of the Fisheries Research Services, the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency and the Scottish Government's Marine Directorate established on 1st April 2009, almost a year prior to the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 gaining Royal Assent.

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