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Sustainable Seas Task Force
23/01/2008
The Task Force that will bring forward plans for new, streamlined legislation to protect Scotland's marine and coastal environment met for the first time today.
The Sustainable Seas Task Force is chaired by Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and will consider proposals for a new Scottish Marine Bill.
The aim of the new Scottish marine legislation is to ensure the sustainable management of our seas and coasts. It will also balance the competing interests for use and protection of our seas.
The Bill forms part of the 2008 Celebration of Scotland's Seas.
Mr Lochhead said:
"2008 is to be a Celebration of Scotland's Seas. Scotland has a unique coastal and marine environment that everyone should be able to enjoy. I believe the Scottish Marine Bill will help safeguard it for this and future generations.
"The aim of the new streamlined legislation, among other things, is to introduce better nature conservation, a new system of planning for the sea and improvements to licensing and regulation of the marine environment. It will also deliver better protection for the future.
"The use of Scotland's coasts and seas is expected to grow markedly in scale and number over the coming years. We need to take action to allow new opportunities to be fully explored, for example to take advantage of Scotland's huge marine energy potential.
"But at the same time we must ensure resources are used in a sustainable manner. This will preserve these assets for future generations.
"The Task Force will look at what additional powers need to be devolved to Scotland. I believe that further devolution in the offshore zone - between 12 and 200 nautical miles - is a much need priority for functions such as marine planning and nature conservation.
"I want the group to consider the wealth of existing work in this area, such as the conclusions of the previous Parliament's Environment and Rural Development Committee report on the marine environment and the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Marine and Coastal Strategy.
"There are also other key drivers that will need to shape our proposals for legislation such as the forthcoming European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and other major challenges facing Scotland's coasts and seas, such as climate change."
At the first meeting of the Task Force the group will consider the work undertaken on marine legislation up to now and a forward work programme. The detailed work of the group will be undertaken at 5 workshops over the following months with a final group meeting in April. Following this the Scottish Government will undertake a full consultation on a Marine Bill.
The workshops will consider licensing and enforcement, conservation issues, marine management arrangements, planning and integrated coastal zone management, and data and science.
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead will chair the Task Force. The Task Force's remit is to consider the actions the Scottish Government needs to deliver to ensure the sustainable management of Scotland's coast and seas with a view to developing a set of proposals for Scottish marine legislation.
Below is a full list of organisations who will participate in the task force:
- Scottish Fishermen's Federation
- Scottish Environment LINK Marine Task Force - WWF Scotland
- Scottish Environment LINK Marine Task Force - RSPB Scotland
- Chamber of Shipping
- Oil and Gas UK
- Scottish Coastal Forum
- Firth of Clyde Forum
- Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation
- Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers
- British Ports Association
- UK Major Ports Group
- Aberdeen Institute for Coastal Science Management
- Marine Science Scotland - Sea Mammal Research Unit
- Scottish Biodiversity Forum Marine Biodiversity Working Group
- Royal Town Planning Institute Scotland
- Scottish Renewables
- Scottish Sea Angling Conservation Network
- Scottish Boating Alliance
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency
- Fisheries Research Services
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency
- Scottish Natural Heritage
- Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
- Historic Scotland
- CoSLA
- Scottish Government