More than 10,000 #SupportMPAs
Over 10,000 people have responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation in support of plans to set up a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Scottish waters. The 16-week consultation – which ran throughout the summer – closed in mid-November and canvassed views on MPA sites around the Scottish coast as well as feedback about the plans in general. Campaigning by environmental charities in Scotland led to a groundswell of support for the MPAs, but also highlighted that the network needs to fill in the ‘ecological gaps’ by creating sites for seabirds, whales, dolphins and other vulnerable seabed species and habitats currently afforded inadequate protection from a growing range of pressures at sea. You can read coverage of the coalition campaign here. View a BBC Scotland slideshow of marine pictures here
Save Scottish Seas
2013 could prove to be a turning point in the history of Scotland’s seas. The Scottish Government has just concluded a consultation on plans for a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Scotland’s seas are world-class; home to amazingly diverse sealife, but they are in decline. Out-of-sight and out-of-mind for years, our marine environment has suffered from a history of unsustainable use. Now MPAs can help our seas to recover.
For the sake of our environment and economy, Scotland needs these MPAs to be implemented in the right way. They cannot be meaningless paper parks; Scotland’s Marine Atlas shows all too clearly why the status quo is not an option. Our campaign is urging the Scottish Government to put in place a network that will actively recover the habitats and species that make our seas so special. It is a historic opportunity to turn around the declining health of our seas and to protect them for future generations.
Protect
Scotland’s seas are home to some truly incredible species and habitats. We want to keep it that way. Find out why our seas need greater protection and how that can be achieved.
Connect
The life in our seas is fundamentally interconnected by water and the ecosystem processes. Marine protection is meaningless if planning does not account for the fundamental linkages between species and habitats in our seas.
Recover
Decades of unsustainable activity has resulted in serious damage to areas of Scotland’s seas. These areas are now in desperate need of recovery. Find out the true state of Scotland’s seas and why we need to restore them to a condition we can all be proud of.
