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A Strategic Framework For Scotland's Marine Environment

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scotland has a marine environment to be proud of. There are challenges in terms of achieving sustainable management of our seas and coasts. The Scottish Executive recognises these and is taking a strong lead in setting a vision for our marine environment and identifying how best to deliver the sustainable development of our valuable marine resources.

1.2 The Scottish Executive is seeking to develop a strategic framework for the sustainable development of Scotland's marine environment. This framework will draw together the range of current activities across the Scottish Executive, giving greater clarity to how they interrelate and the policy objective they serve. It will ensure that the outputs of each activity are consolidated and, where relevant, taken forward collectively to provide an ecosystem approach to the management of human impacts on Scotland's territorial waters.

1.3 Work on developing the strategic framework has already begun internally within the Scottish Executive through a Marine Environment Co-ordination Group, set up in late 2002. That Group brings together the relevant policy teams responsible for each of the current activities/initiatives underway in Scotland (see section 4). The Group has engaged with some stakeholders to set the scope of this consultation paper and to set the range of questions it poses (see section 6). It is not the intention that the strategic framework should necessarily supersede any current activity. It will bond those activities into a more coherent whole and set the policy background for the Scottish Executive's input to UK, EU and international developments. It will also provide the policy framework against which any future marine-related activity in Scotland will be set.

1.4 This consultation paper does not provide a draft of the intended strategic framework at this stage. Instead, it sets out the background to why such a development is needed now. It poses a series of questions on what the scope, content and objectives of such a framework should be and how both the development of the framework itself and the issues that will flow from it should be managed. It sets out, and seeks views on, the Scottish Executive's current strategic vision for our marine environment (see Annex 2) and the current means of achieving that goal; and it seeks views on the options of establishing a national coastline park and/or marine national parks.

1.5 As part of developing the framework, the Scottish Executive wants to consider the current legislative arrangements in respect of Scottish waters. In particular, this paper seeks views on current marine and coastal development consents legislation for which the Executive has devolved responsibility (see Annex 3). Those views will help to shape thinking on how the Scottish Executive should respond to the conclusions of the Department for Transport-led review of development consent legislation undertaken, for England and Wales, arising from the first UK marine stewardship report, Safeguarding Our Seas.

1.6 The Scottish Executive has a wide range of devolved responsibilities within the 12 nautical miles of territorial waters adjacent to Scotland, and some responsibilities within the limit of UK controlled waters out to 200 nautical miles. The management of the seas surrounding Scotland is therefore largely, but not exclusively, a matter for Scotland. This consultation paper focuses on activity in the marine environment for which the Scottish Executive has devolved responsibility. Inevitably, it touches upon matters for which responsibility is reserved to the UK Government (for example, it deals with Scottish measures aimed at giving effect to EU and international obligations even though the negotiations leading to those obligations are reserved). It does not go into detail about the complex devolved/reserved mix that applies in the marine environment. It is the intention that the strategic framework itself will give greater detail about devolved and reserved responsibilities, how they are managed and how Scottish interests should feed into the development of policy/legislation on reserved matters. In the meantime, the Scottish Executive has regular dialogue with the relevant UK Departments and, at the strategic level, operates within a network of the Devolved Administrations to ensure constant liaison with Defra.

1.7 The consultation period runs for more than 12 weeks and closes on 30 July 2004. After that, the Scottish Executive will analyse and publish, within 2 months, the results of the responses received. A draft strategic framework will be developed as a result of this consultation exercise and will be circulated for comments before the end of December 2004. A respondee information form accompanies this consultation paper to help us ensure that your response is handled appropriately. Please use that form to indicate if you do not wish your response to be made available to the public.

2. The Value oF Scotland's Marine Environment

2.1 Over 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans and seas which are a major reserve of natural resources and biodiversity. The marine and coastal waters surrounding Scotland, which are influenced by colder arctic waters to the north, local temperate waters and warmer Gulf Stream currents from the south, are vitally important to the sustainable future of the country. Scotland's territorial waters (out to 12 nautical miles including internal waters) cover a greater surface area (about 53%) than its terrestrial landmass. Our seas and coasts provide food, energy and mineral resources, routes and harbours for shipping and tourism opportunities, which meet many of our economic and social needs. At the same time they contain distinctive and important habitats and support a diverse range of species which we need to protect, conserve and enhance.

2.2 Scotland's coasts are of outstanding scenic value. Many of them are of international repute. The quality of the coastline is important for the image of Scotland at home and overseas. It contains many special and some unique landscapes which are recognised nationally and internationally. The sea coast is one of the most popular tourist destinations: its role in the quality of life of Scotland's people is widely recognised. The need to protect the current and future well-being of the coast cannot be ignored.

2.3 It has been calculated, in one reckoning, that over 80% of the value of Scotland's ecosystem services (the vital functions that support life on earth including flows of material and energy i.e. nutrient cycling, food production etc.) derives from its territorial waters at over 14 billion which compares with a Scottish GDP of 64 billion in 1999 (Williams et al, Exploring the value of Scotland's environment - March 2003). Without seeking to attach any priority to them, the following paragraphs summarise some of the key values associated with Scotland's seas and coasts.

Food

2.4 Fishing and aquaculture are important particularly to Scottish coastal and island communities. They depend on good water quality and the sustainable husbanding of natural resources. The Scottish fishing industry is a significant aspect of the Scottish rural economy. The total value of landings by Scottish vessels was some 328 million (60% of the UK total) in 2002. There are around 6,000 fishermen in Scotland with a further 7-8,000 people engaged in fish processing. The Scottish fleet catches a wide range of fish stocks both from inshore waters and from distant and deep waters in, for example, the North East Atlantic, landing between 500-600,000 tonnes of fish annually. Recent estimates suggest that in some areas, such as Banff and Buchan, the Western Isles, Shetland and Berwickshire, between 20-33% of jobs are fisheries dependent. The Scottish aquaculture industry (90% of the UK total) has a retail value of around 700 million and accounts for around 50% by value of all Scottish food exports.

Energy

2.5 The oil and gas industry is Scotland's premier industry, with the North Sea remaining one of the most prestigious, valuable and important basins throughout the world. Technological advances and expertise are allowing companies to enter a new phase in North Sea production. Figures released from the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA) 2002 Economic Report, suggest that the value of the UK's oil and gas production was approximately 21 billion in 2001.

2.6 Renewable energy sources including offshore wind, wave and tidal power will become increasingly important in the future, with Scottish Ministers committed to meeting 18% of Scottish electricity generation from renewable energy by the year 2010, and 40% by 2020. The Consultation Paper Securing a Renewable Future, published in March 2003, recognised the importance of developing marine renewable resources in achieving the 2020 target. Development of the marine renewable sector in Scotland offers diversification opportunities for companies already established in Scotland, export opportunities for new marine technologies, and the potential for increased employment. It has been estimated that marine renewable energy has the potential to support 6-8,000 direct jobs in the UK by 2015.

Ports and Shipping

2.7 Ports and shipping are of fundamental importance to the Scottish economy. Our international competitiveness relies upon the quick, efficient and safe movement of people and goods. Approximately 5.5 million passengers passed through Scottish ports in 2002. Freight movements in Scottish ports recorded in 2001 totalled some 90 million tonnes of which 67 million tonnes were exports. Sustainable development is central to our policies on transport and the environment and the Executive liaises closely with the industry and environmental interests to ensure best practice in relation to harbour and coastal works and maritime safety.

Tourism

2.8 The tourist industry is one of the most important sectors of Scotland's economy and is particularly important for coastal and island communities. It not only depends on good accommodation and service, but also increasingly on water quality, coastal land and seascapes, cultural heritage and biodiversity. In particular, marine wildlife tourism is an important component of the tourism industry in the Highland and Islands, generating over 57 million in revenue and supporting more than 2,670 jobs.

Wildlife and Habitats

2.9 The waters around Scotland are amongst the most diverse in the world, containing up to half of Scotland's biodiversity. They support a rich and varied wildlife - around 8,000 higher species and a minimum of 36,000 unicellular species; and are home to many distinctive habitats including, for example, sea lochs and maerl beds.

3. DRIVERS FOR CHANGE AND The Pressures on Scotland's Marine Environment

3.1 The importance of the marine and coastal environment for Scotland is clear from the above statistics alone. It is also clear that the range of anthropogenic activity in and around our seas, alongside other natural processes, has the potential for significant impacts on the marine environment. Those impacts can be driven by a number of natural or anthropogenic factors, including:

• climate change
• coastline change
• harnessing marine renewable energy
• protection of biodiversity (species and habitats)
• industrial/agricultural production
• commercial fisheries/aquaculture
• exploitation of mineral and hydrocarbon resources
• marine transportation/shipping
• coastal/marine development
• lack of transparency/accountability/co-ordination in coastal/marine planning/development
• waste disposal (from whatever source)
• tourism and recreation

3.2 While some of these drivers of change are positive, others can put pressure on the marine environment, through the potential threats associated with:

• significant ecosystem change
• loss of biodiversity
• degradation/destruction of habitats
• discharge of waste
• pollution incidents
• licensed deposit of dredged materials
• eutrophication through discharges of nutrients from agriculture/aquaculture
• coastal erosion/inundation and associated activities
• unsustainable exploitation of fish stocks
• introduction of harmful non-native species
• unregulated tourism

3.3 Some of these pressures are clearly embedded in the wider public conscience - the state of the marine environment around Scotland featured prominently in the 2002 Scottish Executive Survey of Public Attitudes to the Environment in Scotland [ www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/2002/11/seen251.aspx ]. A position paper on Scotland's Aquatic Environment, produced by the Scottish Executive's Water Environment Division, includes a chapter on the quality of Scotland's marine waters [ www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ERAD/WEU/ooo15561/SAE.pdf]

4. PROTECTING SCOTLAND'S MARINE ENVIRONMENT

4.1 The pressures identified above and the activities that drive them have already been recognised at Scottish, UK, EU and international levels. The range of UK-wide initiatives and UK-wide national and international obligations designed to address them, and to which the Scottish Executive is fully committed, is summarised, with their timelines where relevant, in the table at Annex 1.

4.2 Given the size and importance to Scotland of our territorial waters, the Scottish Executive wants to ensure that our input to those initiatives and our contribution to meeting those obligations on matters for which we have devolved responsibility is based on well founded, scientifically based, objectives for Scotland's marine environment, giving Scottish solutions to the issues affecting Scotland's waters. A wide range of existing activities are already under way across the Scottish Executive to give effect to this and to meet the Executive's own policy objectives. Inevitably some activities have a sectoral focus, but all are designed to achieve an overarching vision for Scotland's marine environment. That vision, with a summary of the activities currently in hand to reach it, is at Annex 2. The key activities are:

Implementation of the Water Framework Directive

4.3 The Water Framework Directive requires that "good ecological status" is maintained or achieved by 2015 in all inland surface waters, transitional waters, groundwater and coastal waters out to one nautical mile. The Water Environment and Water Services (Scotland) Act 2003, which transposes the Directive in Scotland, extends this objective out to three miles from the territorial sea baseline. Regulations are currently being drafted to introduce controls over engineering and building activities in inland surface waters but not coastal or transitional waters.

4.4 The Scottish Executive is currently looking at the best possible mechanism to implement the Directive in the marine environment. One option would be to amend Part II of FEPA to fully comply with the Directive, while an alternative solution may be to introduce regulations to cover marine engineering works in coastal and transitional waters. It is planned that this work will be taken forward in the coming months.

Implementation of the Bathing Water Directive

4.5 The Bathing Water Directive sets mandatory water quality standards for 60 designated bathing waters in Scotland, of which 3 failed to meet mandatory standards in 2003. The Scottish Executive is funding research projects to identify causes of failure and address the range of sources and pathways of pollution to bathing waters.

4.6 In March 2002, Scotland's Bathing Waters: A Strategy for Improvement was published to tackle all pollution threats to bathing waters by prioritising improvements to sewerage infrastructure and identifying and reducing/removing sources of pollution at farm-level to benefit designated bathing waters at risk of failing to meet the standards of the Bathing Water Directive.

4.7 The Scottish Executive has also funded a pilot scheme to install electronic signage at certain bathing water sites to provide real time information on bathing water quality.

Implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive

4.8 The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive sets standards to protect the environment from the adverse effects of discharges from sewage treatment works. It requires that all significant discharges are treated to specific levels and sets standards and deadlines for the provision of sewerage systems, and treatment of sewage according to the community served by the sewage treatment works, and the sensitivity of receiving waters to their discharges.

4.9 Scotland currently has 23 separate areas that have been designated as sensitive under the Directive and which require improvement within seven years. The next review of sensitive areas will report in 2005.

Implementation of the Shellfish Directive

4.10 The Shellfish Waters Directive currently sets water quality requirements for 104 designated shellfish waters in Scotland but will be repealed in 2013 by the Water Framework Directive. A further tranche of shellfish waters in Scotland is currently under investigation for possible designation, based on sustainable production, in 2004 at the earliest.

Strategic Framework for the Scottish Sea Fishing Industry

4.11 In May 2001, the Strategic Framework for the Scottish Sea Fishing Industry was launched with a view to implementation by 2004. It sets out a number of aims and objectives to deliver the best possible conditions for the successful operation of the fishing industry in Scotland. It places sustainable fish stocks at its core, supported by; an economically competitive industry, support for fishing communities, focus on quality and an inclusive approach to fisheries management.

4.12 The EU's 2002 decisions on CFP Reform, involve the implementation of a range of measures, which reflect the aims and objectives outlined in the Strategic Framework, including:

• an end to Community subsidies for new-build vessels in 2004;
• establishment of Regional Advisory Councils in 2004, including one for the North Sea;
• the application of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management;
• reform aimed at establishing multi-annual management plans for fish stocks at Community level; and
• the review and reform of EU Technical Conservation regulations

4.13 This strategic framework also has strong links to a healthy wider marine environment, including work on cetacean bycatch, seal management, marine protected areas, measures to protect habitats (e.g. Darwin Mounds) and the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.

Strategic Review of Inshore Fisheries Management

4.14 The Coalition Partnership Agreement, A Partnership for a Better Scotland, commits the Scottish Executive to 'sustainable local management and control of the fishing resource in inshore waters…delegating responsibility to local stakeholders, if necessary through reform of the Inshore Fisheries Act and other regulatory measures for inshore fisheries'. In response to this commitment, the Executive and the Scottish Inshore Fisheries Advisory Group (SIFAG) have been working in partnership to develop a draft strategic framework for inshore fisheries management which will be subject to consultation in early 2004.

Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture

4.15 The Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture was launched in March 2003. It was developed by the Ministerial Working Group for Aquaculture in consultation with key stakeholders and established a broad consensus on the future sustainable development of the industry. Sustainability is the overarching guiding principle for the Executive's vision for aquaculture in Scotland, having regard to its economic, environmental, social and good governance or stewardship aspects. The Framework contains 33 specific priorities for action designed to assist the industry develop in a sustainable way over the next 10 to 15 years. The Strategic Framework can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/environment/sfsa-00.asp.

Scottish Biodiversity Strategy

4.16 The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy was developed at the request of ministers by the Scottish Biodiversity Forum, and is due to be launched in May 2004. Its key aims are to halt the loss of Scotland's biodiversity and continue to reverse previous losses by targeted action for species and habitats; and to raise awareness of the many benefits of biodiversity by significantly increasing the number and range of people contributing to its conservation and enhancement. The Strategy aims to broaden the work beyond those species and habitats identified for priority action within the UK BAP process, by assessing the main impacts on Scotland's biodiversity across sectors and setting out actions to address these impacts and any barriers to them.

4.17 A specific marine and coastal implementation plan is being prepared (alongside urban & rural plans) which details actions required to begin delivery of the Strategy by 2007, at which point the plan will be reviewed. Indicators and monitoring requirements are also being developed for the strategy.

Implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directives: The Natura 2000 Network

4.18 Scotland has made a substantial contribution to Natura 2000, the European network of protected areas designated under the Birds and Habitats Directives. 137 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) have been classified for wild bird species and 242 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been designated for a range of important habitats and species. Of these, 48 SPA's that have one or more species of qualifying seabird, and 54 marine or coastal SAC's have been designated. An EC working group is examining how best to extend Natura fully into the marine environment, including the offshore area around the UK, and JNCC is developing advice to Government as part of this wider process.

Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative

4.19 The Scottish Executive launched the Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative (SSMEI) in November 2002. The principal aim of SSMEI is to develop new management framework options for the sustainable management of Scotland's marine environment that embrace the concept of the ecosystem-based approach. The work is being undertaken in three phases that seek to bring together a wide range of policy interests that rely on the sustainable development of Scotland's marine environment. Phase I is now complete and the second phase has just been launched and will develop a number of pilot schemes between now and summer 2004 that could be implemented in Phase III.

Developing a Coastal Strategy and Consulting on a National Coastline Park and Marine National Parks

4.20 The Partnership Agreement commits the Scottish Executive to consult on the best strategy for protecting and enhancing Scotland's coastline, including the options of establishing a national coastline park and marine national parks.

4.21 This commitment will be substantially delivered through the implementation of the EU Recommendation on Integrated Coastal Zone Management, which requires taking stock of the current framework for managing coastal activities as a first step towards the development of a strategy for the management of Scotland's coasts by 2006. The Scottish Coastal Forum has already embarked on drafting such a strategy in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. The stocktaking exercise is being carried out on a UK basis in collaboration with Defra and the other devolved administrations. The results of this exercise, expected in March 2004, and the work of the SCF will inform the development of the coastal strategy.

4.22 This consultation paper raises questions and invites views on the current legislative framework for managing activity in the marine environment, the potential for marine spatial planning and the potential future mechanisms for good governance of Scottish marine waters (see section 6). This is therefore also an appropriate context to address the question of whether there are significant additional benefits which could be delivered by the establishment of a marine or coastline national park or whether these can be achieved in other ways.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

4.23 The Scottish Executive will be introducing regulations to bring the EC Directive on the Assessment of Environmental Effects of Certain Plans and Programmes (SEA Directive) into force by its due date of 21 July 2004. The Directive requires certain public sector plans and programmes to be subject to SEA to allow early identification and assessment of their likely significant environmental effects. It applies to plans or programmes required by legislative, regulatory or administrative means and which set a framework for future development consents of projects. Plans and programmes related to projects listed in Annexes I and II to the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, or featured in Articles 6 and 7 of the Habitats Directive automatically require SEA. Others require SEA if a screening process determines that they are likely to have significant environmental effects. The Executive is committed to going further than the scope of the SEA Directive in due course, broadening out the applicability of the SEA to public sector strategies (as well as plans and programmes) and removing the qualifications about being required by legislation etc. and about setting a framework for future consents. This will be achieved by a SEA Bill. Both the Directive and the Bill will extend to Scottish territorial and internal waters.

The Extension of Planning Controls to Marine Fish Farming

4.24 Section 24 of the WEWS Act 2003 extends planning controls to marine fish farming. The Scottish Executive hopes to introduce secondary legislation allowing robust and workable controls to Parliament in 2005.

Marine Development Consents

4.25 There is specific legislation in place dealing with the environmental impacts of certain developments in the marine and coastal environment:

• Part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (Deposits in the Sea)
• Coast Protection Act 1949 (Navigational Safety)
• Harbours Act 1964 (Port Development)
• Electricity Act 1989 (Electricity Generation including Offshore)

These are summarised briefly in Annex 3. They have been reviewed by the Department for Transport in respect of their application in England and Wales, and the outcome of that review is awaited. The Scottish Executive has devolved responsibility for certain functions under these four Acts in relation to developments in waters adjacent to Scotland. In addition, the Energy Bill, currently being considered by the UK Parliament, contains a number of proposals on the regulation and consents regime for offshore renewable energy. Responsibility for a number of these provisions will also be devolved to the Scottish Executive. The Executive would welcome views on whether any changes are necessary in Scotland.

5. DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF SCOTLAND'S MARINE ENVIRONMENT

5.1 The Scottish initiatives described in section 4 seek to respond to the pressures outlined in section 3 by identifying and, where necessary, proposing modifications to existing regulatory controls and management systems applicable in the marine environment. They have largely, but not in all cases, been developed independently of each other as the Scottish Executive has sought continuously to improve the ways in which it regards and manages the marine environment. The Scottish Executive realises, however, that a range of activity that has developed in this way has led to confusion.

5.2 In seeking to develop a strategic framework for Scotland's marine environment, the Scottish Executive is in part attempting to overcome that confusion. The intention is that the strategic framework will embrace, rather than supersede, existing initiatives setting them into a more coherent context to provide a clearer description of how they interrelate and the overall policy objectives they serve. It is more than just re-packaging, however, and will aim to build on the results of current initiatives, such as the work of the Scottish Coastal Forum and the Marine Biodiversity Implementation Plan being drawn up by Scottish Biodiversity Forum, to:

• set out a clear vision for Scotland's marine environment with specific measurable objectives and time lines (building on, as necessary, the current vision at Annex 2)
• improve co-ordination of Scottish Executive activities and our engagement with stakeholders
• provide a mechanism to manage the development of the framework itself and for future good governance and sustainable management of Scotland's marine environment
• consider options for the future of existing marine-related legislative regimes.

5.3 In particular, as part of developing the strategic framework, the Scottish Executive wants to review marine and coastal development consent regimes for which we have devolved responsibilities, in order to respond appropriately to the outcome of the Department for Transport-led review of marine and coastal development consents in England and Wales, when it is known.

5.4 Scotland is not alone in seeking to address the ways in which the marine environment might be sustainably managed. We are playing an active role in the UK-wide marine stewardship report process and contributing to the development of the EU Marine Strategy. Bringing greater coherence to our own initiatives will help us to make an even more focussed input to those wider discussions. In the global context, a number of countries have adopted, or are developing, more holistic approaches to the management of their coasts and seas. Some have introduced specific legislation and/or have instituted organisational change to address issues of better, more integrated governance. The Scottish Executive will want to bear that wider UK, EU and international context in mind as the agenda for the future of Scotland's marine environment develops following this consultation exercise.

6. QUESTIONS

6.1 In order to develop the strategic framework the Scottish Executive wants to review with stakeholders, primarily through this consultation paper, whether the perceived drivers and pressures in section 3 remain valid, whether there are any gaps in the current mechanisms designed to address them, and how any gaps might best be dealt with. We would therefore welcome views on any aspects of this consultation paper and, in particular, responses to the following specific questions:

1. Do you endorse the strategic vision for Scotland's marine environment set out in Annex 2? Are any changes necessary?

2. Are there any drivers/pressures on the marine environment that have not yet been addressed in the strategic vision and the key commitments in Annexes 1 and 2? What are they?

3. Are there any actions that remain to be addressed outside the various existing initiatives and activities in section 4?

4. How might current and any additional drivers/pressures on the marine environment best be addressed? Is there a need to:

• develop strategic goals with clear timescales to achieve the overall vision? What might these be?
• improve knowledge and understanding through research and monitoring?
• improve co-ordination and integration between regulators and agencies?
• improve management arrangements involving stakeholders? How might this best be achieved?
• review/improve existing legislation? Do you have personal experience of specific legislation that you consider outdated or unhelpful?

5. How can we measure progress with these? What sort of indicators should be developed to assess progress towards the sustainable development of Scotland's marine environment?

6. Are any specific improvements necessary to the following four marine and coastal development consent regimes for which the Scottish Executive has devolved responsibility (see Annex 3);

• section 34 of the Coast Protection Act 1949 (Navigational Safety)
• harbour orders under sections 14 to 18 of the Harbours Act 1964
• section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989
• Part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985

What form might these improvements take?(Note: comments on section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 consents process should be restricted to its application to marine or offshore development. The Scottish Executive will be issuing a separate consultation paper on its more general application.)

7. Should a system of marine spatial planning be established in Scottish waters? What would the key elements be? How would marine spatial planning work in practice?

8. The Scottish Executive is committed to developing an ecosystem approach to managing the marine environment but there are various definitions of what this means. Do you agree with the definition contained in the glossary? How should we give effect to an ecosystem approach in the marine environment? Should this be Scotland-wide, regional or local? What might the key components of such an approach be? Do models already exist that we can build on?

9. How should the effective stewardship/governance of Scotland's marine environment be achieved? Do you think that the current system is capable of delivering sustainable management of our marine environment? If not what are the key issues that need to be addressed to resolve the situation? What sort of mechanism/body is needed to do this?

10. Is there a role for marine national parks in managing areas of our marine environment? If so, what should be the key elements of marine national parks? Should they be entirely marine, or should they encompass part of the coastline? What should be the distinctive role of the park authority?

11. Would a national coastline park contribute to the sustainable management of the Scottish coast? What would be the distinctive role of the park authority which would avoid the risk of confusion with the responsibilities of other agencies? Would the focus of a national coastline park be primarily directed at the management of the coast and the immediate inshore waters? Or should it include more extensive management of the seas?

12. How should the development of a strategic framework for Scotland's marine environment be taken forward in practice - internally by the Scottish Executive with periodic consultation; through a committee/working group of interested parties; other means?

13. What form should the strategic framework take - a policy statement/publication; a similar model to the Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture (see Section 4.15)?

14. How often should the strategic framework for Scotland's marine environment be reviewed?

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