Our focus in Scotland
Scotland is home to 13% of Europe’s seas and 62% of the UK’s. We've been working to protect Scotland's seas for over 20 years.
Marine conservation and fisheries management are devolved which means they’re the responsibility of the Scottish Government. We lead the Save Scottish Seas coalition to influence the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament on all matters marine.
So far, we’ve been instrumental in:
- achieving the Marine (Scotland) Act
- creating 36 new MPAs including the largest in Europe
- implementing a National Marine Plan
- gaining protection in the most vulnerable inshore MPAs and Scotland’s vast offshore MPAs from damaging bottom-towed fishing gear
- getting commitment for a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers
- bringing about bans on rinse-off microbeads and single-use plastics including cotton bud sticks, cutlery and straws
- successfully helping make the case for a new fisheries strategy for Scotland
- helping establish pioneering restoration projects Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project and Restoration Forth
But there’s still much to be done as pressures continue to build on Scottish seas.
Our team will continue to put the recovery of Scotland's seas front and centre of all agendas.