A MARINE protection charity is “deeply troubled” over delays to key environmental pledges by the Scottish Government, including a consultation on restricting fishing activity that damages the sea floor.
Open Seas has insisted ministers are slipping on a suite of commitments made in the Bute House Agreement (BHA) – the governmental pact between the SNP and the Greens – to protect life in Scotland’s waters, claiming there has been a “leadership failure” to prioritise marine protection.
The Government recently announced Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) – which would have put an end to the vast majority of human activities that may cause negative impacts on the environment – will no longer be implemented by the Scottish Government in 10% of the country’s waters by 2026.
Open Seas said this, among other measures in the BHA that have yet to come to fruition, shows ministers are “letting down” the marine environment.
Other pledges in the BHA yet to be delivered on include the protection of priority marine features, which the charity highlighted has been legally required by the National Marine Plan since 2015, and establishing actual protection in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which have served only as “paper parks” since their designation in 2014.
Paper parks are places where there is an MPA designated but inadequate protection on the ground – ie the protection exists on paper only.
Open Seas has also said a consultation on an “inshore cap” that would start restricting fishing activity that damages the seafloor within three miles of the coast must come to light urgently.
Some of the commitments are previous Scottish Government pledges prior to the BHA, while others were called for by the Scottish Greens as part of the cooperation agreement.
Environmental damage to Scotland’s seabed is of particular concern, charity bosses have said. They referred to the Scottish Government initiating an urgent review back in 2017, designed to look at the impacts of bottom-towed fishing on habitats after a scallop dredge vessel towed legally through what was later identified as the world’s largest flameshell reef in Loch Carron.
Nick Underdown, head of communications and campaigns for Open Seas, said: “Ultimately this is a leadership failure to prioritise marine protection. It's deeply troubling to see both the SNP and Scottish Green Party ministers edging toward yet more delays on their legal duties to protect our seas.
“The BHA was intended to create a ‘step change in marine protection’ but this isn’t happening. Serious questions need to be asked if they are unable to deliver proper protection of MPAs or a consultation on an inshore cap.
“The greenwashing narrative from the SNP and the Greens that 37% of our seas are protected doesn’t stack up when scallop-dredging, the most destructive form of fishing, is restricted in just 5% of our inshore seas.
“Currently Scottish ministers are letting down the marine environment and must stick to the timelines laid out in the BHA to protect our coastal seas and give priority support for sustainable fishing, starting with the inshore cap consultation.
“We believe these measures would receive broad public support because they would restrict the most damaging fishing methods in our most sensitive inshore waters whilst safeguarding sustainable low impact fishing.”
The charity recently took the Government to court over sea fishing licences, with judges ruling the current approach to scallop-dredging and bottom-trawling licensing was “unlawful”.
Underdown added: “They must now act decisively to cap the most destructive fishing methods and support a transition to low-impact fishing.”
The Government’s priority marine features review has been repeatedly delayed, but the BHA has committed to delivering the “long-overdue” protection by March 2024.
Priority marine features range from flame shells beds in coastal waters to the cold-water coral reefs of deeper seas, as well as mobile species like the basking shark.
The BHA pledged to deliver an inshore cap consultation “at the earliest opportunity”.
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
