Managing our seas well is essential as we move towards net zero, meet our biodiversity commitments, and support sustainable growth in our marine economy.
Scotland's marine sectors bring real economic and social benefits to our communities. They provide low carbon food and energy, helping power the UK. Our seas also give us essential natural resources, including food and climate regulation. Keeping our marine environment healthy and resilient is key to future sustainable growth and to tackling climate change.
Marine planning aims to balance the needs of people and the environment when making decisions. It's a powerful tool for managing developments that affect our seas, bringing different interests together so that decisions about our seas benefit future generations.
Marine planning decides if, where, when and how development happens, and provides guidance for making those decisions. Separate sector-specific regulations manage and regulate activities themselves, outside of the planning process.
Actions
Find out more about our actions:
- at a national level, by creating and reviewing Scotland's first National Marine Plan (2015)
- at a regional level, by creating Scottish Marine Regions and supporting Regional Marine Planning Partnerships
- at a sectoral level, through the publication of the Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind (2020) and the development of the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind to Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (2021), to support the sustainable development of offshore renewable energy
- through management of the Scottish Crown Estate
Background
We have also:
- formed the Seaweed Review Steering Group to help ensure existing seaweed harvesting activity and future proposals are sustainable, with the final piece of research Understanding the potential scale for seaweed-based industries in Scotland published in February 2022
- formed the National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) Steering Group to help develop NMP2
- developed the National Marine Plan interactive (NMPi) tool to help the development of national and regional marine planning
- published Scotland's Marine Assessment 2020 (SMA2020) which assesses the state of Scotland's seas and the main activities and pressures affecting Scotland's marine regions and offshore marine regions
Bills and legislation
- Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 provides a framework which will help balance competing demands on Scotland's seas
- UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
- Water Framework Directive was introduced in 2000 to establish systems to manage the water environment, and was transposed into Scots Law in 2003. The WFD applies to all water in the natural environment - rivers, lochs, estuaries, coastal and underground water
- Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 introduces a more sustainable and modern approach to flood risk management, suited to the needs of the 21st century and to the impact of climate change
- Coast Protection Act 1949
- Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007
- Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003
- Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (EU Birds Directive) we lead on the implementation of the EU Birds Directive in Scottish territorial waters and the Scottish offshore region. This includes designation and management of Scottish Protection Areas (SPAs), establishing and operating a system of strict protection for particular species that are listed in the Directive, and responsibility for surveillance and monitoring of the species and habitats protected by the Directive
- Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (EU Habitats Directive) we lead on the implementation of the EU Habitats Directive in Scottish territorial waters and the Scottish offshore region. This includes designation and management of Special Area of Conservation (SACs), establishing and operating a system of strict protection for particular species that are listed in the Directive, and responsibility for surveillance and monitoring of the species and habitats protected by the Directive
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 in combination with the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 implements the EU Birds and Habitats Directives in the inshore area
- Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 contains legal provisions to implement national-level policies on nature conservation including equivalent protection for some other species of national importance and a biodiversity duty on all public bodies inside territorial waters, which is implemented in Scottish territorial waters by the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy
- Offshore Marine Conservation Regulations (2007) implements the EU Birds and Habitats Directives in the UK offshore area
- Conservation of Seals Act 1970
- Conservation of Seals (Scotland) Order 2004
- Conservation of Seals (Scotland) Order 2007
- The Scottish Marine Regions Order 2015
Contact
Email: NationalMarinePlanning@gov.scot
Email: RegionalMarinePlanning@gov.scot
View our main contacts page.