The Case for a Marine Act for Scotland The Tangle of the Forth © WWF Scotland For more information contact: WWF Scotland Little Dunkeld Dunkeld Perthshire PH8 0AD t: 01350 728200 f: 01350 728201 The Case for a Marine Act for Scotland wwf.org.uk/scotland COTLAND’S incredibly Scotland’s territorial rich marine environment is waters cover 53 per cent of Designed by Ian Kirkwood Design S one of the most diverse in its total terrestrial and marine www.ik-design.co.uk Europe supporting an array of wildlife surface area Printed by Woods of Perth and habitats, many of international on recycled paper importance, some unique to Scottish Scotland’s marine and WWF-UK registered charity number 1081274 waters. Playing host to over twenty estuarine environment A company limited by guarantee species of whales and dolphins, contributes £4 billion to number 4016274 the world’s second largest fish - the Scotland’s £64 billion GDP Panda symbol © 1986 WWF – basking shark, the largest gannet World Wide Fund for Nature colony in the world and internationally 5.5 million passengers and (formerly World Wildlife Fund) ® WWF registered trademark important numbers of seabirds and seals 90 million tonnes of freight Scotland’s seas also contain amazing pass through Scottish ports deepwater coral reefs, anemones and starfish. The rugged coastline is 70 per cent of Scotland’s characterised by uniquely varied habitats population of 5 million live including steep shelving sea cliffs, sandy within 0km of the coast and beaches and majestic sea lochs. All of 20 per cent within km these combined represent one of Scotland’s greatest 25 per cent of Scottish Scotland has over economic and aesthetic business, accounting for 11,000km of coastline, assets. 0 per cent of Scottish one of the longest in Scotland’s uniquely turnover and 20 per cent of Europe diverse marine environment employment is located within is also host to a range of km of the coast different, and sometimes conflicting, uses and activities. There are over 790 Scotland’s amazing marine scenery is Scottish islands, including one of its key attractions as a tourist 30 which are inhabited destination and provides for many recreational activities such as diving, © Steve MORGAN/WWF-UK sailing and wildlife tourism. Meanwhile Scotland’s marine waters also provide the basis for a range of industrial Front cover photos Main, right 2, right 4 © Steve MORGAN/WWF-UK activities including oil extraction, Right 1 © Sue SCOTT shipping, and commercial fisheries. Right 3 © Genevieve LEAPER/WWF Scotland The Tangle of the Forth The Tangle of the Forth N 2004, the Scottish Coastal Forum Seas the Opportunity: a strategy for the natural resources. published a Strategy for Scotland’s long-term sustainability of Scotland’s sea The challenge is converting this definition I coasts and inshore waters. When and coasts. The Minister for Environment into a practical reality. Today, the approach to considering the various uses of the coasts and Rural Development established a high managing coastal and marine activities and and inshore waters, the Strategy observes: level Advisory Group for the Marine and to marine conservation remains unstructured, Coastal Strategy (AGMACS) to, among other piecemeal, sector-focused and unsustainable. “Sectoral management systems objectives, consider the potential for marine Scotland’s seas are some of the most have historically tended to downplay spatial planning and how such a system might productive in the world; for example, the these cross-sectoral linkages but operate in practice and to identify whether North Sea accounts for 3.5 per cent of the integrated management systems any of the elements of the strategy might world’s commercial fish catch, but comprises acknowledge and address them more explicitly. There is an economic rationale for this as well as a matter Sustainable development requires that of principle. Benign interactions tend to add to the total sum of wealth natural resources be used in ways whereas conflicting interests tend to that avoid irreversible damage, limit or diminish it.” loss of irreplaceable features, This highlights that a sector-by-sector or reduction in ecosystem resilience approach to the management of coastal and marine resources will not only result in conflicts, which fail to realise maximum require underpinning by new legislation or new only 0.18 per cent of the earth’s surface. benefits from the resources but is likely to delivery mechanisms. Scotland’s seas support around 13–14,000 undermine and degrade the resources, to the Sustainable development requires that fishing and processing jobs, while 60 per cent Edinburgh city and the Lothians is the most extent that the benefits provided are reduced natural resources be used in ways that avoid of the UK fish catch, with a value of £328 © Steve MORGAN/WWF-UK popular tourist destination in Scotland – or degraded. Thus, in the long term, there will irreversible damage, loss of irreplaceable million, comes from Scottish vessels. Declines diverse. It is estimated there are over 8,000 be a reduction in the available benefit that the features, or reduction in ecosystem resilience. in North Sea fish stocks and recent growth one-fifth of all UK visitors and one-third of marine species in Scottish waters, including resources are able to provide. The Strategy Today’s needs must be met without in shellfish markets have resulted in the over 250 species of fish, 20 species of all overseas spending is in this region. The identifies a large number of objectives compromising the ability of future generations Scottish inshore fleet becoming almost entirely whales and dolphins, over 3,000 species of two key factors in selecting their destination and necessary actions under a series of to meet their needs. Environmental, social, dependent on shellfish. Key shellfish species shellfish, internationally important colonies of goals including integration, spatial planning and economic interests should be considered for the inshore fleet include scallops, crabs cited by all visitors are the scenery and seals, internationally important populations and decision-making, and stakeholder simultaneously to ensure cohesion within and lobster and the Scottish langoustine (also of waterfowl, and 43 per cent of all seabirds the natural environment participation. a management system that allows a long- known as Norwegian lobster or Nephrops), breeding in the EU. It has been calculated In September 2005 the Scottish Executive term and dependable flow of benefits with landings worth £57.2 million in 2004. that whale and dolphin watching generates published a marine and coastal strategy, from both renewable and non-renewable £3.4 million annually and that marine wildlife Three in every four Scottish fishing tourism generates over £57 million in revenue UK Marine Jurisdictions vessels fish in inshore waters and supports nearly 3,000 jobs. However, HW LW 3 Miles 12 Miles 200 Miles Of 2 commercially exploited fish worrying trends indicate that we are failing to stocks in 2003, 6 are considered manage our marine resources sustainably and Foreshore UK Territorial Waters UK Fisheries Limit to be fished beyond safe biological as a result many species and habitats are not limits prospering as they should: Scotland’s coast boasts outstanding Leatherback turtle – noticeable scenery and natural environment – the two decline in North Atlantic Local Planning Authorities most important factors for both UK and Atlantic salmon – significant overseas visitors to Scotland according decline Harbour Authorities to surveys conducted by Visit Scotland. Other migratory fish – sea trout Scotland’s waters are considered to be highly and eels – in decline Cod populations – severe decline. Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Water Quality) Certain stocks at historic low Common skate – severe decline Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency Roseate tern –severe decline in population Scottish Executive Defra Scoter – substantial decline in Nature Conservation Commitments population Crown Estate (Seabed Ownership) © G Redshank – breeding population in enevieve decline Kittiwake – population declining in © Steve MORGAN/WWF-UK Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs Department (Fisheries) LEAPER/WWF Scotland some areas, particularly east coast Scotland Department Trade and Industry, Scottish Executive Enterprise Transport and Lifelong Learning Department Saltmarsh - significant decline in (Offshore Oil and Gas and Renewable Energy) past 50 years Department for Transport (Shipping) Seagrass beds – severe decline 2 3 The Tangle of the Forth The Tangle of the Forth Scotland’s Responsible Authorities and Relevant Legislation The Firth of Forth is recognised on an International, European and National level URRENTLY more than 20 bodies have a role to play. for its outstanding marine and coastal © Steve MORGAN/WWF-UK have jurisdiction or responsibility The complexity of legislation is even C in Scotland’s marine environment greater. Largely driven by the need to respond biodiversity but the implementation and – from global organisations such as the to the inadequacies of the management enforcement of these levels of protection is International Maritime Organization responsible system of the day, more than 50 relevant virtually impossible under current legislation for agreeing measures for the management pieces of legislation, some dating back a of international shipping to the European hundred years, have been adopted. The Commission and the 25 Member State