Marine and coastal restoration plan consultation: Scottish Government response

Theme 1 – Restoration opportunities and priorities

Headlines from the analysis

At least 80% of those answering felt each objective in Theme 1 is important to some extent. For all except one of the actions in Theme 1, at least two thirds of those who answered felt that each action should be included in this plan, ranging from 83% who supported including “Set out priorities at national scale, while supporting regional partnerships and other local coalitions to identify regional priorities” to 67% who supported “Explore appetite for more localised and/or regional opportunity maps”. The only exception was the slightly lower level of agreement of 62% for the action “Review and update priorities using the criteria once established to ensure action is targeted where it is most urgently needed”.

Response

Opportunity maps

In relation to opportunity maps, there were comments about the potential limitations of opportunity maps and how they will be used, including concerns that they could become restrictive to both restoration and other activities, while others called for the maps to be integrated with regional and national marine planning. These are important points which will be taken into account when considering how any maps will be presented and published, including clear and transparent narrative/guidance on their purpose and limitations. We will also carefully consider whether and how the maps could be used to help inform planning decisions, without becoming overly prescriptive or restrictive.

As part of the programme of work developing and refining the maps, we will also consider suggestions for what other information could be included. Suggestions from the consultation and wider engagement included information on climate modelling, pressures on the marine environment, existing pressure management measures (such as overlaying Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), or other area-based measures) and locations where active restoration could have impacts on things like cultural or historic sites.

Prioritising habitats and species

Responses about criteria for prioritising habitats and species for restoration included some factors which we had not previously explicitly addressed in the plan. We have now incorporated these in the plan, including: ensuring transparency in the process for developing and applying criteria, and ensuring that setting out priorities does not discourage action in relation to other habitats or species.

Support and enable landscape scale restoration

In relation to “Support and enable landscape scale restoration”, we fully agree with the point made by respondents that such approaches should not mean that individual projects are held back by complexity or are considered a lower priority for funding. We also note that some respondents felt that landscape scale restoration need to be supported by/combined with pressure management, and will consider how best to integrate these approaches. This could for example be through interaction with wider existing or planned measures to manage pressures on the marine environment, and/or as part of the proposed protection mechanism under Theme 2. To reflect this, we have added an additional action under this objective: to work with nature conservation advisors to identify potential opportunities for active restoration in areas where measures to manage pressures are in place. In the first instance, this could be within suitable priority marine feature management areas, or could then involve commissioning research to identify MPAs where active restoration could support achieving or maintaining conservation objectives, and those where restoration could pose risks.

Respondents also provided a range of views about what a place-based approach means to them, with particular emphasis on meaningful and transparent community engagement and decision-making, and consideration of the specific needs of an area and the aims and concerns of local communities. While these points relate in part to how projects themselves engage with wider communities, we will reflect on the facilitative role Government can take and seek to embed these principles as we implement the plan.