Phase I of the SSMEI project was undertaken by BMT Cordah in 2003.
The research aims of Phase I were as follows:
- To identify and assess the nature, scale and potential of the environmental, social and economic resources within the limits of Scottish territorial waters and the current, emerging and future challenges and opportunities that it faces
- To identify the principles and possible examples on which management models may be based, taking into account existing mechanisms
- To produce options for policy objectives and approaches for the sustainable development of Scotland's marine resource under Phases II and III of this work, and initiate the development and testing of associated indicators and targets
- To provide a blueprint to facilitate the second phase of the work including scoping the specification of this work and recommendations on the appropriate geographic scale and detailed time scale