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MINISTERIAL FOREWORD
We should be truly
proud of Scotland's coastal and marine environments. They
are not only unique in their beauty and in the diversity of
their natural and cultural resources, but are also vital to
the people of Scotland as a source of social and economic
prosperity. Many of our rural communities have long and
strong links with the sea, and many industries depend on
the sustainable use of marine natural resources to thrive
and to create jobs. Managing the many inter-dependencies
that flow from that is central to the Scottish Executive's
top priority of Growing Scotland's Economy. Many marine
based activities, in particular in tourism and renewable
energy development, will also contribute to our Green Jobs
Strategy.
Over the summer of 2004 we consulted widely on
developing a strategy for Scotland's coasts and seas. The
outcome of that confirmed my view that we need to ensure
the fundamental principles of sustainable development are
applied to marine-related activities in a way that matches
the unique circumstances of our coastal areas and
territorial waters. We do a lot already to integrate
socio-economic and environmental factors into decision
making processes, often on a sector by sector basis. But
the time is right to take a wider view, to get better at
co-ordinating activity and at measuring and tackling
cumulative impacts on our seas. We also need to manage more
positively the potential tensions between sectors and
between environmental and socio-economic objectives.
This document sets out the way in which I intend to put
that into practice. It draws heavily on last year's
consultation and also on the considerable work of the
Scottish Coastal Forum and the Scottish Biodiversity Forum,
for which I am grateful. It does not purport to give
everything to everyone, but it does set out a clear vision
for our coasts and seas, underpinned by high level
objectives and specific action-focused targets. I want it
to be a living, long-term strategy, which will evolve and
develop over time with benefits for a generation to come. I
intend to take forward the delivery of the objectives
initially through a new group on to which I will invite
stakeholder representatives to play an active part.
Applying sustainable development in a marine and coastal
context is a real opportunity to shape the way we behave
today to secure benefits not just for now but for years to
come. Those benefits must, of course, be in part
environmental. But if we squander natural marine and
coastal resources, and do not protect them for the future,
we jeopardise our economic prosperity as well. Sustainable
development is about ensuring that does not happen. I hope
that, together, all of us with an interest in our coasts
and seas will grasp the opportunity for change.
ROSS FINNIE
Minister for Environment and Rural
Development
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