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A STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND'S COAST AND INSHORE WATERS
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT SCOTLAND'S COASTAL ZONE?
Scotland's coastal zone is notable in both a UK and a European context for its scale and variety. At more than 11,000 km,
1 the coastline is long relative to the country's size and it is often highly indented, with island archipelagos to both the north and west. The distribution of these islands gives Scotland one of the largest inshore areas (within 12 nautical miles of the coast) of any country in the EU.
For most people living here the sea is never very far away. About 20% of the Scottish population lives within a kilometre of the coast; and around 70% live within 10 kilometres. There are 130 inhabited islands. The east-west and north-south contrasts in Scotland are striking. The generally lower-lying east has three major estuaries and a broad and fertile coastal strip. The more rugged and indented west coast is characterised mainly by mountains, sea lochs, islands and crofting communities. The northern coasts tend to be abrupt and exposed and are adjacent to deep water and good fishing grounds, while the coast of the Solway Firth has a more gentle slope and is notable for its large inter-tidal areas.
Figure 1 - the 12-mile territorial sea represents 53% of the total area of Scotland
The north-east Atlantic is one of the most productive marine areas in the world and this is reflected in the economic importance of fishing and aquaculture to the country's rural periphery. Other key industries which draw on the resources of the coastal zone are those connected with offshore oil and gas, shipping, and tourism. Aberdeen is the main centre in Europe serving the oil and gas fields offshore, and the Forth and Clyde estuaries are important for merchant shipping generally - with the Forth ranking among the top UK ports in tonnage terms. Coastal tourism and recreation is a key element in the economies of many coastal communities. Nearly a quarter of businesses are located within 1 km of the coast, accounting for over 10% of Scottish turnover and almost 20% of the country's employment.
Scotland's major cities are all near the coast with a history of sea trade that extends back several centuries. Also many smaller settlements on the coast have developed a distinctive character and townscape according to their function, be they fishing villages, traditional holiday resorts, crofting townships or even modern-day pioneer settlements.
Scotland's coastal landscapes are valuable in their own right but also a useful marketing asset for promoting our seafood products and for attracting inward investment. The Scottish coast is also home to some of Europe's most important habitats and species - both above and below the water line. Many of the marine habitats are also vital to Scotland's fisheries and the inshore zone provides important spawning and nursery grounds for many species of fish. The coast is particularly important to seabirds - both resident and migrant - and is home to several world-renowned colonies.
1.2 WHY DO WE NEED A SCOTTISH COASTAL STRATEGY?
There are both longstanding problems and emerging issues concerning the management of the coastal zone such as:
declining fish stocks - this undermines the long-term interests of fishing communities and biodiversity;
the accommodation and integration of different forms of aquaculture - even after two decades of development finfish farming still tends to be controversial; advances in technology, management practice, species diversification, and polyculture, however, offer new prospects;
the integration of marine nature conservation into use of the coastal zone - there is as yet no clear overall strategy and without this, new area designations tend to trigger defensive reactions and often see low levels of public support;
the location of renewable energy installations on the coast or offshore - how many, how big, where;
water quality issues for shellfish and finfish farmers; coastal pollution threats to aquaculture, beaches, and wildlife; shoreline litter;
the implications of sea level rise - how best to respond to this;
navigation issues relating the increased use of inshore waters;
reducing populations in some rural coastal communities.
Planning and management systems need to address the significant interrelationships between use of the sea and use of the land and rivers adjacent. Furthermore, the competition between and limitations of single-sector management are becoming more obvious as the range of interests in inshore waters increases and more time and energy has to be spent on applying for licences, impact assessment and resolving conflicts.
Political recognition at European level of the need for better husbandry of marine assets is moving into a more practical phase after the EC's recommendation to member states on ICZM in 2002. A marine thematic strategy is to be prepared by 2005 and the Common Fisheries Policy is being reformed. The UK Government has embarked on a stocktaking exercise and various marine stewardship initiatives. The SCF strategy (and the Scottish Executive's contribution to the UK strategy which will follow on from it) can provide a point of linkage between the various sectoral strategies.
1.3 HOW DO WE DRAW A STRATEGY TOGETHER?
Increasingly the public expects joined-up government and sustainable development. For policy makers, this puts more of an accent on breadth of view, spatial intervention long-term perspectives, and developing synergy between the sectors. It implies rather less reliance on competition between the sectors to produce optimal outcomes and balance the competing claims.
ICZM is a process that brings together all those involved in the development, management and use of the coast within a framework that facilitates the integration of their interests and responsibilities. The objective is to establish sustainable levels of economic and social activity in coastal areas while protecting the coastal environment.
ICZM is still a relatively new concept and can mean different things to different people. It may require deployment of new resources in some areas or re-orientation of some existing ones. Some interests remain to be convinced that it is cost-effective. Others fear it may mean a shift in the power base or an additional layer of bureaucracy. Not surprisingly then, there is a degree of uncertainty about the best way forward and this is something the national strategy can help to resolve, for example:
which are the best mechanisms for delivering ICZM?
what has the experience of the various voluntary coastal partnerships taught us?
what is the most effective balance of statutory and voluntary provision?
what should the roles of national and local government be in this regard?
The successes of the offshore oil and aquaculture industries in recent decades demonstrate the importance of the marine realm as a new development frontier. However, corporate motives do not always coincide exactly with the broader public interest and public awareness of the marine environment - what it contains, what it is worth, what the interactions are - is generally quite low. To make informed choices, the government and people of Scotland need to have a clear idea of what potential there is and where offshore technologies may take us, so they can consider alternative scenarios for development. Such scenarios will almost certainly embrace the development of renewable energy sources offshore and techniques for fisheries enhancement and ecosystem management.
The UK Government published its stocktake of coastal interests and management issues in April 2004. The mix of coastal issues in Scotland is not the same as the other parts of the UK. At the devolved authority level there is a need for a strategy which addresses the country's particular geographic circumstances, for example:
aquaculture is more important in Scotland than the other countries of the UK;
the extent of semi-natural habitats, and with it nature-based potential, is particularly marked;
the wild coastal recreation resource in Scotland is significant at both a UK and European level;
the economic fragility of our remote rural settlements and island communities makes it even more important in such areas that marine and coastal interests are well integrated to maximise employment and safeguard natural capital;
the extent of oil-related development and the need to sustain the economic gain as offshore oil and gas reserves decline.
Footnote
1 When measured at the 1:50,000 scale
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