18 Aug 2026
Photo by Michael Grant Scotland’s marine minister has confirmed that a consultation on new fishing restrictions across more than 160 inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and sensitive habitats will launch “in the coming weeks”, with the consultation period extended to 16 weeks to allow fishing communities more time to respond. Jim Fairlie MSP, minister […]
05 Aug 2026
Photo credit: Chris Gallagher The Scottish government has launched a £15 million fund to strengthen flood resilience in the communities most at risk. The money, announced on 2 August, will go to local groups, communities and councils to improve their preparedness, and is intended to complement Scotland’s wider Flood Resilience Strategy. Where the money […]
21 Jul 2026
Photo Credit: AdobeStock The Scottish Government has granted consents and marine licences for the Caledonia North and South offshore wind farms in the outer Moray Firth, allowing developer Ocean Winds to progress plans for a two-gigawatt project. The two sites will cover a combined 429 square kilometres and are permitted to install up to […]
30 Jun 2026
Photo by Paolo Chiabrando Western Isles councillors have formally objected to a proposed 60-turbine offshore wind farm off the west coast of Lewis, after planning officers recommended opposition on the grounds of landscape, seascape and historic environment harm. The decision was taken at a full meeting of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar on 29 June, […]
23 Jun 2026
Photo by Thimo van Leeuwen Scottish Ministers have been both non-compliant with, and ineffective in implementing, their legal duties to protect and restore the seafloor, according to a new report published on 23 June by Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS), the independent body that monitors environmental law in Scotland. The findings landed on the same day campaigners […]
24 Mar 2026
Photo by Ramon Vloon Scotland’s £16 million Marine Fund has reopened for applications, with Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon announcing the expanded scheme during a visit to Dunbar harbour. But the launch has been met with immediate criticism from conservation and coastal community groups who warn that the fund’s eligibility criteria are too narrowly drawn to […]
17 Mar 2026
Photo by Bob Brewer The Scottish Government has concluded that no new regulation is needed to address fish mortality on salmon farms, following the publication of a Marine Directorate research report into persistent elevated deaths at marine sites. The finding, presented to the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee on 11 March, has […]
24 Feb 2026
Photo by Maxwell Andrews The Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan has been formally adopted by Scottish Ministers, establishing a statutory framework for managing marine activities out to 12 nautical miles from the coast. The plan, the second of its kind for the Orkney Islands Scottish Marine Region, sets binding policy for a wide range of sectors […]
