Our Seas and Coasts

PROTECT OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT

The Scottish Greens will ensure at least 30% of our seas are protected, and a third of this area will be highly protected, which means fishing and other industries would be excluded. This will protect Scotland’s unique marine environment and wildlife, and support our economy and that of coastal communities in particular as it will deliver net benefits to fish stocks and support the growth of sustainable fishing and seafood businesses, creating more green jobs.

In addition, we will:

• Ensure all Marine Protected Areas have a management plan that prevents damaging activities and encourages positive action.
• Designate Blue Carbon Marine Protected Areas to help tackle the climate emergency.
• Support the marine protected area network through regional marine and coastal plans that are developed with local communities, sectoral interests and other stakeholders and are led by the twin aims of delivering our nature recovery targets and supporting sustainable economic activity.
• Introduce a Marine Environment Levy on profit-making enterprises that benefit from a seabed lease, including oil and gas operations, minerals, gravel and sand extraction, aquaculture and offshore wind farms, raising over £17 million a year that will be invested in marine protection and enhancement.

A SEA OF OPPORTUNITY

The Scottish Greens will introduce new legislation to protect our inshore marine environment, support a diverse and thriving low impact inshore fleet, and help our coastal communities thrive.

We will:

• Ensure the stalled network of Regional Marine Plans is completed, and that they are focused on delivering nature targets.
• Introduce controls on the type of fishing gear and harvesting levels allowed, including restricting the area where dredging and seabed trawling is permitted.
• Redress the historical consolidation of quotas in the hands of a few by redistributing them, so that the wealth generated from the industry is more equally shared and small businesses are the key beneficiaries.
• Make all public support to fisheries businesses, including licences and quotas, conditional on operating in an environmentally and socially responsible way.
• Invest in better enforcement, including more compliance vessels and the introduction of mandatory on-board cameras and remote electronic tracking and monitoring systems on all commercial vessels.

A TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE SALMON FARMING

Salmon farming is a major industry in coastal Scotland, and the Scottish Government has set a goal of doubling production by 2030. Yet repeated investigations, including an inquiry by the Scottish Parliament, have highlighted the severe environmental impact of the sector and have linked intensive aquaculture with the decline of Scotland’s native wild salmon population. Mortality rates as high as 25% clearly show an industry in crisis, and a growing animal welfare disaster.

The Scottish Greens will:

• Introduce a moratorium on the licensing of new salmon farms and the expansion of existing ones until environmental and animal welfare concerns are addressed.
• Insist on stricter monitoring regimes for environmental impacts and fish health and welfare.
• Give regulators the power to close down failing farms.
• Ban the use of acoustic deterrent devices, which cause pain and distress to marine mammals.
• Phase out open cage farming.
• Support levies on the industry to invest in innovation with the aim of delivering high welfare systems that prevent pollution, livestock escapes and parasite outbreaks.

THE SCOTTISH GREENS WILL ALSO

Champion a sustainable marine economy

• Introduce a Scottish Fisheries Bill to establish a new system of fisheries support that is based on observing mandatory catch limits and incentivises environmentally and socially responsible operations.
• Exclude dredging and trawling from much of our inshore waters, with specific areas identified in line with local ecology, but with the default being within 3 miles of Scotland’s shore.
• Support research into sustainable mariculture of seaweed and other products including shellfish, and support restoration of oyster reefs to create diverse habitats and sustainable fisheries.

Tackle marine pollution

• Prohibit new oil and gas developments and enforce the safe decommissioning of existing oil and gas installations.
• Address marine litter by bringing in new controls to ensure no loose items are stored onboard open decks, and all items are marked with the vessel number.
• Maintain our opposition to ship to ship oil transfers outside of harbour facilities where the risks to the marine environment of a spillage could be catastrophic.

Protect marine mammals

• End the use of damaging submarine sonar and other acoustic devices, including those used by the military, which are known to have negative and potentially fatal impacts on cetaceans.