We use cookies to collect anonymous data to help us improve your site browsing experience.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Set cookie preferences

Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Publication - Minutes

Marine Litter Strategy Steering Group minutes: May 2026

Published
18 August 2026
Directorate
Marine Directorate
Topic
Marine and fisheries
Date of meeting
19 May 2026

Minutes from the meeting of the group on 19 May 2026.

Part of

Attendees and apologies

  • Anne Saunders, Marine Directorate, Scottish Government  
  • Ewan Macdonald, Marine Directorate, Scottish Government 
  • Bess Homer, Scottish Water 
  • Wendy Murray, Coastal Communities Network 
  • Heather Mclaughlin, Keep Scotland Beautiful 
  • John Berry, Scottish Islands Federation 
  • Heather McFarlane, Fidra 
  • Catherine Gemmell, Marine Conservation Society 
  • Mark Hartl, Marine Alliance for Science and Technology Scotland 
  • Craig Fraser, Scottish Environment Protection Agency  
  • Candice Hale, Salmon Scotland

Apologies  

  • Morag Campbell, Marine Directorate, Scottish Government  
  • Lynda Webster, Marine Directorate, Scottish Government 
  • Anne Dagg, Circular Economy Division, Scottish Government  
  • Craig Swanney-Bernales, Circular Economy Division, Scottish Government  
  • Thomasina Glover, Islay Development Initiative 
  • Julia Cant, KIMO UK 
  • Nina Valentine, Scottish Fishermen's Federation  
  • Vicki Last, Scottish Islands Federation 
  • Sam Moir, Zero Waste Scotland  
  • Bethan Akgun, Scottish Water 
  • Connie Black, Scottish Water 
  • Nick Gosling, Transport Scotland 
  • Caroline Hutton, Transport Scotland 
  • Karen Hall, NatureScot 
  • Boe McLean, 2050 Climate Group  
  • Lauren Smith, Local Coastal Partnerships  
  • Toby Sandison, Crown Estate Scotland 

Items and actions

Welcome and introductions 

AS welcomed everyone and introduced new member of staff EM. 

Updates from Marine Directorate 

Marine Litter Strategy mid-point review 

  • the review has been completed by the steering group  

  • a short report of the process and outcomes has been produced. This will be published shortly on the Scottish Government website  

  • the action plan published beside the Strategy will be updated, as previously agreed, as this is a live document  

  • a notification will be sent to the group when these are done  

Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) 

  • this year’s first funding round closed on 15 May. The group was notified when the funding round opened in April, and was sent a reminder when the closure was approaching   

OSPAR – pontoons and buoys 

  • OSPAR Decision 2025/02 has been adopted and published, with the intention to prevent plastic pollution through the release of expanded polystyrene, extruded polystyrene, and other foamed plastic, from pontoons and buoys  

  • this Decision applies to non-coated and fully coated pontoons and buoys, and partially coated pontoons  

OSPAR – beach litter monitoring 

  • Scottish Government has been working with Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and Marine Conservation Society (MCS) on further additions to the suite of monitoring beaches. There are currently five beaches in Scotland, and there is an interest in investigating additional beaches including on islands  

OSPAR – pellet monitoring on beaches 

  • a draft methodology has been agreed, trials are currently being conducted in various OSPAR countries  

  • MCS currently liaising with two sites which have offered to trial the sampling methodology in Scotland. CEFAS trialling the methodology in SW England  

Pellet pollution 

  • the EU published a pellet loss prevention regulation in November 2025. OSPAR commissioned an evaluation of this, which is expected to be published later this year 

Support for Ukraine 

  • in February, Scottish Government arranged for more than 280 tonnes of end-of-life aquaculture nets to be sent from Scotland to Ukraine to help the nation defend itself against Russian drone attacks Supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russia

Sewer misuse discussion forum 

  • convened by Defra. This will recommence this month after a short break  

Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan (OIRMP) 

  • alongside the Shetland Islands Regional Marine Plan, this is our second adopted regional marine plan and means it is now a statutory Scottish Government marine plan for the Orkney Islands Marine Region. From the point of adoption, all marine licensing and consenting decisions (within devolved competence) in the region must take account of the plan’s policies 

  • orkney Islands Council is the sole delegate for marine planning for this region, and as such they become a statutory consultee on marine licence applications submitted to Marine Directorate affecting this marine region  

Actions from the previous meeting 

There were two actions from the previous meeting  

  1. notify the group when Marine Fund Scotland opens for 2026/27. Completed

  1. notify the group when commissioned report on the potential capacity for fishing and aquaculture gear recycling is published. Completed  

Marine Litter Strategy (MLS) Action Plan updates 

Strategic Direction 1 - Improve public and business attitudes and behaviours around marine and coastal litter, in co-ordination with the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy (NLFS)

Objective: Encourage positive behaviour and deter littering and flytipping 

Circular Economy Division – Waste Prevention 

  • the NLFS group is currently working to review the Year 3 actions and produce the Year 4 action plan 

  • a review of progress to date of the NLFS will be conducted over the coming months 

  • work on litter from vehicles is progressing, with a consultation forthcoming later in the year  

  • responses to the UK Government’s Waste Crime Action Plan are being collated, which will inform the development of any Scottish Government response  

Objective: Improve waste management in the fishing and aquaculture sector 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action ongoing. In Autumn 2025 MC and AS conducted a series of engagement events with both industries, seeking input on potential improvements on the collection and management of end-of-life gear 

  • next steps are to run a short-term trial (subject to resources) of the option that was seen as most viable by industry - a gear collection and processing hub  

  • action completed. CEN standard published November 2024  

  • action ongoing. Much of the responsibility for work on Port Waste Facilities sits with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency  

  • Scottish Government are currently updating the work within remit, including an update for 2026 on the availability of waste facilities at Scotland’s main ports and harbours 

  • Scottish Government are contributing to the OSPAR RAP2 action, into a review of the PRF Directive, how it is being implemented, if it is working as it should do, and a template of actions that countries can take forward 

Objective: Improve waste management for collected marine litter 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action ongoing. MFS has supported work on polymer net and rope recycling.  

Objective: Reduce sewage related debris through a behavioural change campaign 

Scottish Water 

  • action ongoing. Currently no planned end date. The next phase of the campaign, named 'Nature Calls: Soak Up the Rain', was recently launched on 11 May and highlights how small, practical actions at home can help to reduce surface water, and therefore discharge into sewers and flooding 

Strategic Direction 2 - Reduce marine and coastal based sources of litter, with a focus on the most problematic sources, in coordination with land sourced litter being reduced by the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy 

Objective: Reduce plastic pellet loss into the marine environment 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action ongoing. The PAS continues to be promoted by British Plastics Federation, which runs training courses and workshops for awareness raising within the industry 

  • action completed. Certification scheme launched February 2023  

  • action ongoing. A review of the effectiveness of the certification scheme has been completed, and is due to be published later this year 

Action point 1: MC to provide HM with a contact point in BPF. Completed  

Objective: Improve the ability of the fishing industry to retrieve lost fishing gear from the sea. 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action ongoing. Work on new tools and technology as opportunities arise  

  • action completed. CEN standard published November 2024  

Objective: Reduce sources of sewage-related debris (SRD) 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action completed. The legislation to ban wet wipes containing plastic was signed and laid before Parliament in February, and has passed the period of committee scrutiny by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee. It will come into force 11 August 2027 

  • all four nations worked together to introduce separate legislation, aligned on the scope and intent of the ban, exemptions for wet wipes for medical and industrial uses, and an 18-month transition period to allow business to make necessary adjustments  

  • throughout the process all four nations remained aligned as closely as possible on dates. Coming into force dates will apply as follows: Wales - December 2026, England and Northern Ireland - May 2027, Scotland - August 2027  

  • action ongoing. Potential policy options on other sewage-related debris items remains a long-term action. Scottish Government are beginning to look at data to provide evidence for future work  

  • we continue to work through the UK arm of the ISO process to develop an international standard for period products (single-use and reusable) with the inclusion of clauses to reduce their environmental impact  

Scottish Water 

  • action completed. 1000 EDM facilities have been installed  

  • action ongoing. Continued development of EDM programme: 3,000 EDMs overall to be installed by December 2027. By 1 June 2026 SW aim to have 2,000 EDMs installed and reporting spill events in near real-time to the SW Overflow Map. Currently the figure is 1,975 installed. SW are planning for further expansion of the rollout on the basis of priority and cost / benefit analysis 

  • action completed. 85 CSO solutions have been designed and developed 

  • action ongoing. Deliver solutions at CSOs that are already confirmed as being high priority through having significant SRD impacts on the environment: 18 overflows with water quality impacts and 67 overflows with SRD impacts will be removed from the high priority list by December 2027  

  • action ongoing. Develop solutions at CSOs that are already confirmed as being medium priority through having SRD impacts on the environment: 150 overflows with SRD impacts confirmed as being medium priority are undergoing development. Three projects will be delivered by December 2027 where associated with high priority overflows. Solutions will be developed for approximately 30 overflows by December 2027, and the remainder will follow thereafter (into the next SW investment period) 

  • action completed. Five aesthetic studies completed  

Strategic Direction 3 - Support the removal of marine litter from the marine and coastal environment 

Objective: Reduce the cost of disposal of collected marine litter 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action ongoing. Scottish Government continues to work toward a solution for analysis of litter composition, potentially with Glasgow City Council / another partner organisation. This may need funding for analysis work 

Objective: Increase the number of rivers in Scotland with co-ordinated projects to reduce litter levels, including removal 

Keep Scotland Beautiful 

  • with funding from Scottish Government’s MFS, KSB continued to support communities across Scotland to tackle litter along and near waterways. This includes specific actions around the rivers Clyde and Esk, as well as continuing to support the active community along the River Irvine. Over the last three years KSB has developed guidance and support to ensure Upstream Battle is a national campaign and any community looking to tackle litter in and around their river or waterway can get involved

  • additionally, the 2025/26 funding enabled KSB to review and trial the OSPAR draft riverine litter monitoring protocols. From December 2025 to end of March 2026 KSB undertook a preliminary feasibility study to test the methodology and parameters. Initial thinking is that it can be delivered viably in Scotland, however more work needs to be done to find suitable, long-term sites to monitor over time

Objective: Expansion of the Fishing for Litter project  

KIMO 

  • action completed. 515 vessels are currently participating in the scheme in Scotland

  • action ongoing. 9 tonnes of nets from Skye have been prepared and set aside for recycling 

  • Potential opportunity to collect and recycle hard plastics in Aberdeenshire

Objective: Support the installation of riverine litter removal technology in the River Clyde 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action ongoing. GCC are continuing to investigate the feasibility of this project  

Strategic Direction 4 - Improve monitoring at a Scottish scale and develop measures for strategy evaluation 

Objective: Use of Fishing for Litter initiative data to evaluate industry engagement 

KIMO 

  • action ongoing. The report examines the composition, quantities and management pathways of marine litter collected through the FFL scheme across Scotland. The study aims to improve understanding of the materials entering FFL harbour waste streams, how they vary spatially and temporally with seasonality, and what they can reveal about marine litter sources  

Objective: Accurate assessments of marine plastics in Scottish waters 

Marine Directorate (Science) 

  • action completed. A new beach in the north-east has been added to the OSPAR monitoring; and the Quality Status Report 2023 has been published  

Objective: Development of an agreed methodology for inter-tidal microplastic monitoring 

MASTS and Marine Directorate (Science) 

  • action ongoing. Work on the Joint Research Council microplastics in sediment assessment methodology is a long term action. Whilst there is an agreed methodology for assessing microplastics in water, there is so far no agreed methodology published for extracting microplastics from sediments  

  • long-term monitoring of microplastics in Scottish intertidal sediments in the Firth of Forth and Orkney is ongoing 

  • action ongoing. Work on an OSPAR agreed methodology for sediment microplastic monitoring is long term and complex. A survey has been sent out across all contracting parties to identify challenges on monitoring

Action point 2: AS to update Fidra and MCS on plastic pellet monitoring on beaches. 

Completed: The OSPAR ‘micro and meso plastic’ monitoring is the OSPAR plastic pellet monitoring on beaches which AS referred to under agenda item 2.  

Objective: Social science evaluation of the Marine Litter Strategy 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

Objective: Understanding Scottish island beach litter 

Marine Directorate (Science) and Scottish Islands Federation (SIF) 

  • action completed. The monitoring of beach litter on Scottish islands has improved 

  • action ongoing. A monitoring programme has been established to understand sources of island marine litter  

  • the project funded by the Highlands and Islands Environment Foundation on fishing and aquaculture related litter will conclude at the end of May, and the data results will be available in June 2026. The project has been a progression from the first project to not only increase the number of Beachwatch surveys across Scottish islands but to develop a new citizen science project in collaboration with SIF to build an evidence base on different types of fishing and aquaculture litter 

  • a new dedicated web page on the MCS website includes links to the survey form, data entry portal, and the fishing and aquaculture litter photo ID guide created by SIF, which will remain live for SIF to keep using post-project. MCS hope to secure further funding to expand the survey wider across Scotland and potentially the UK  

Strategic Direction 5 - Maintain and strengthen stakeholder co-ordination in Scotland, the UK, EU and globally  

Objective: Expand communications and understanding of Marine Litter Strategy work with delivery partners 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action ongoing. Opportunities for the MLSSG to champion the work of the strategy. Some examples in this period include:  

  • KSB has continued to work to ensure there is co-ordination across the MLS and NLFS through integrating more content on marine litter on the Community Litter Hub and through ongoing promotion of citizen science programmes gathering litter data as part of the Citizen Science Co-ordinators Forum  

  • in November MCS and SIF presented at the ‘Project One Wave’ conference in Glasgow which brought together the beach cleaning community in Scotland with creatives and policy experts across the UK 

Objective: Build on and strengthen working relationships with wider UK 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • The Scottish Government continues to contribute to the UK negotiating position on the UN Plastics Treaty. Marine Directorate contributes expertise on pellets, and fishing and aquaculture gear in particular  

Objective: Increase engagement with OSPAR (which includes the European Commission) through: participation in and implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter; and taking a lead role with relevant actions. 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • Scottish Government continues to lead on the plastic pellet work and co-lead on fishing and aquaculture gear. We also contribute to work on the disposal of recreational vessels  

  • work of particular interest under the two committees (EIHA and HASEC) includes exposed polystyrene in buoys and pontoons, chemicals related to the aquaculture industry, and exhaust scrubbers in shipping. The most recent committee meetings were held in April 2026  

Objective: Strengthen co-ordination across the British-Irish Council region 

Marine Directorate (Policy) 

  • action completed. Marine Litter Working Group and the Marine Environment Group have concluded their work and have been closed. Any potential future marine work will now be conducted through the Environment Group 

Any Other Business

  • JB highlighted a workshop in Orkney, in partnership with various countries on marine litter. SIF highlighted that wider evidence needs to be considered, specifically in island contexts. Significant waste disposal problem, worthwhile to discuss with COSLA

  • WM advises that local authorities covering island communities struggle to dispose of marine litter. SIF and CCN intend to consolidate information from across communities ahead of the development of future strategy action plans 

  • BH reminded the group that SW are asking the UK Government to introduce mandatory responsible labelling (a reserved matter) for all items likely to be inappropriately disposed of in the sewer, and an end to misleading environmental claims such as ‘flushable’, ‘biodegradable’, etc to reduce customer confusion and reinforce the correct disposal option 

  • SW shared a number of useful weblinks:  

  • CG volunteered to give a presentation at next meeting, on the MCS and SIF fishing and aquaculture data outcomes  

Next meeting date  

August 2026. 

Back to top