Kevin McKenna Guardian In the waters of the North Sea a few miles off Scotland’s east coast, a nine-year battle has been raging that threatens a fragile and unique environmental equilibrium. The struggle has made mortal enemies of two huge lobbies that share a passionate commitment to the environment. On one side are the developers […]
Bob Earll ‘Good news and bad. The bad news is that the flame shell bed had to been badly damaged before Scottish Government acted. The good news is that once notified their response has been quicker than anything known in the history of MPAs in UK providing a valuable precedent.’ Scottish Government has announced today […]
A flurry of electioneering claims and counter claims surround the notable quote from Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom in a letter to the SFF. She said “no decision has yet been made” on the extent to which the CFP would be incorporated into British law. But she pledged to “disapply the key elements” which are “most […]
Scotland: Building a commercial seaweed industry. First policy guidelines for sustainable seaweed cultivation. The first set of policy guidelines for the commercial cultivation of seaweed in Scotland have been published. The Seaweed Cultivation Policy Statement also sets out the framework concerning the environmental impacts of seaweed farms, including the requirements to: consider and mitigate adverse […]
In early 2016 Scottish Government established fisheries restrictions in Scottish Marine Protected Areas to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems. The ‘mobile’ fishing sector (i.e. the part of the fishing industry most likely to be affected by these MPA) raised many concerns about the negative impact the restrictions could have on coastal communities. This report looks at […]
The Crown Estate in Scotland includes a diverse portfolio of property, rights and interests that influence many aspects of rural and coastal life in Scotland. This consultation is an opportunity to help shape the long term framework for the devolved management of the Crown Estate in Scotland and how the revenue should be used to […]
Anglers in Scotland will be shielded from increased costs. Proposals to introduce rod licences and a new wild fisheries levy will not be taken forward, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has announced. The Scottish Government has ruled out these measures as well as the criminalisation of freshwater fishing without written permission and proposals to overhaul the […]
This project has produced a descriptive catalogue of 81 Priority Marine Features (PMFs) that have been identified in the seas around Scotland. The catalogue serves as a reference for ongoing nature conservation action. Descriptions for each PMF (including component habitats and species where appropriate) comprise an image, distribution map and short text outlining the characteristics, […]