Sustainable Seas Task Force
The Cabinet Secretary, Richard Lochhead announced the membership of a new national stakeholder group - the Sustainable Seas Task Force - on January 3 2008.
The Sustainable Seas Task Force will help develop proposals for legislation and form the basis for a consultation.
The Sustainable Seas Task Force represents the main users of Scotland's seas and reflects the diversity of interests in the marine environment. This will contribute to a holistic and integrated approach to marine management.
Any proposed legislation will seek to balance the much needed protection of marine and coastal biodiversity with the sustainable use of the seas upon which many communities depend.
Following the work of the Sustainable Seas Task Force the Scottish Government will undertake a full consultation on a Marine Bill.
Scotland's Seas: Towards Understanding their State
In summer 2007, the Scottish Government asked Fisheries Research Services (FRS), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to start work on assessing the state of Scotland's seas. Knowledge about Scotland's marine environment is important as a baseline as the Sustainable Seas Task Force (SSTF) develops its work and a consultation paper is prepared for the Scottish Marine Bill. "Scotland's Seas: Towards Understanding their State" was launched at the SSTF plenary meeting on April 9 2008. It paves the way for a full "State of Scotland's Seas" to be published in 2010.
This report is also available in pdf format.