Stakeholder engagement essential for successful designation of Highly Protected Marine Areas in Scotland
Featured Photo: View from the village of Elgol to the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. (Credit: Daniel Callaghan)
Blog By Marine Conservation Institute Blue Parks Intern Daniel Callaghan
The United Kingdom (UK) has the second highest percentage of country waters designated as fully or highly protected marine areas in the world at 39%.[1] This is entirely driven by UK Overseas Territories, supported by the UK Government Blue Belt Programme, which account for 5 of the 10 largest marine protected areas (MPA) globally, including the Pitcairn Islands MPA which is a 2022 Blue Park.[2] In stark contrast, MPAs in national waters surrounding the UK have been heavily criticized for their weak regulations. Conservationists have broadly labelled these as little more than ‘paper parks’ which, while being established as an MPA, lack the suitable management, regulations or enforcement to realise positive conservation outcomes.[3],[4] In 2020, fishing vessel data collected by Global Fishing Watch and analyzed by Oceana indicated that bottom-trawling or dredging was occurring in 97% of UK MPAs.[5] Responding to this criticism and considering global commitments to ocean protection at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP15 in Montreal, marine management bodies across the UK have made stricter MPA regulations a focus.
Such focus is especially crucial in Scotland. Scotland’s marine environment accounts for approximately 60% of UK seas, with 70% of the UK’s breeding seabirds and a diversity of rich seabed habitats.[6] Aside from a community-established no-take zone in Lamlash Bay, which has seen considerable biodiversity improvement since designation in 2008,[7] the majority of Scottish MPAs’ regulations are severely lacking. However, in 2021, a historic agreement between the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Greens, termed the Bute House Agreement, committed to designating 10% of Scottish seas as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA) by 2026.[8] HPMAs prohibit all forms of extractive, destructive, and depositional activities, including fisheries, aquaculture, and other infrastructure developments, while permitting other activities, such as tourism or recreational activities, at low-impact levels.[9] Alongside additional fisheries management measures in existing MPAs and increased inshore seafloor protection, the Bute House Agreement marine management initiatives aim to promote a healthy marine environment, recover fisheries stocks, and promote Scotland as an international leader in marine protection.[10]
The commitment to designate 10% of Scottish seas in HMPAs by 2026 has ignited impassioned perspectives within Scotland, evidenced by the over 4000 responses to the first round of public consultation.[11] Although met with strong support from some organisations, including the Scottish Wildlife Trusts, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Our Seas coalition, more widely reported has been the opposition to these proposals. Despite being in the very early stages of the planning process, with no specific sites discussed or decided,[12] the Scottish fishing industry, Highland and island communities, and some members of Scottish parliament have vehemently rejected the planning process. The presence of a stakeholder engagement plan and commitments to working closely with industry[13] appear to have done little to curb the concerns from groups that are heavily reliant on marine resources for their livelihoods and prosperity. These stakeholders consider the proposals to be poorly evidenced, weakly consulted, and dismissive of local experience.[14] In 2020, the Scottish fishing industry landed 63% of all UK vessel landings by tonnage, employing 4,737 fishers,[15] and it is particularly important in the isolated communities of the Scottish Highlands. Within these communities, HPMAs are envisaged as dealing a devastating blow to the local economy which are already suffering from depopulation.[16] A protest song, titled ‘The Clearances Again’ has been written by a band which includes a Highland fisher, likening the proposals to the Highland Clearances which forced the eviction of Highland residents in the 18th and 19th century.[17] Such has been the scale of opposition, on the final day before the summer parliamentary recess, HPMA plans in their current form were scrapped by the Scottish government, with further consultations across industry, communities, and conservationists due at a later date to establish new timelines and pathways forward.[18]
With parliament not due to resume until September, there will undoubtedly be big questions over where the HPMA proposals go next. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation have called on the government to follow the English lead, where four MPAs have had byelaws introduced which prohibit only bottom-towed gears as part of a pilot study to understand the impacts of these less stringent restrictions.[19] Although compliance with the new regulations appear strong,[20] the English process has been labelled as slow, unambitious and unlikely to deliver on global agreements by NGOs.[21] The first HPMAs in English waters were just designated this month (July 2023), covering 0.4% of English seas.[22] Others, such as the charity Open Seas, continue to support the HPMA regulations but state that the implementation approach has raised serious concerns and that there is now an opportunity to develop a more thorough and integrated approach to engaging all stakeholders in management.[23]
Although the future is unclear, it is vital that the Scottish government maintains a positive commitment to meaningful marine protection and does not resort to the politically easier regulations which currently characterize UK MPAs. Stricter protection can offer substantial benefits for the marine environment and sustainable fisheries alike, as has already been evidenced in a Scottish setting.[24] However, it is crucial that all stakeholders, including industry, local communities, and government, are actively engaged in the management initiative from the start and throughout the implementation and monitoring processes. Without this commitment, any future ambitions for improved marine protection will continue to face the same opposition, the same obstacles, and l lead to the same outcomes as these most recent proposals. The likely consequence: a continued decline in marine resources and loss of biodiversity with essential conservation actions to restore degrade habitats and recover wildlife populations further delayed.
[1] Marine Protection Atlas (2023) Marine Protected by Country. Retrieved June 2023 from: https://mpatlas.org/countries/list/.
[2] Marine Protection Atlas (2023) Largest Marine Protected Areas. Retrieved June 2023 from: https://mpatlas.org/large-mpas/.
[3] Dunkley, F. and Solandt, J., (2021) Marine Unprotected Areas Report: A case for a just transition to ban bottom trawl and dredge fishing in offshore Marine Protected Areas. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://media.mcsuk.org/documents/marine-unprotected-areas.pdf.
[4] Slezak, M., (2014) Conservation report reinforces fears over ‘paper parks’. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26552-conservation-report-reinforces-fears-over-paper-parks/.
[5] McVeigh, K., (2020) Revealed: 97% of UK marine protected areas subject to bottom-trawling. Retrieved June 2023 from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/oct/09/revealed-97-of-uk-offshore-marine-parks-subject-to-destructive-fishing.
[6] Scottish Wildlife Trust (2023) Holistic marine management – the need for Highly Protected Marine Areas. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2023/05/holistic-marine-management-the-need-for-highly-protected-marine-areas/.
[7] COAST (n.d.) No Take Zone: Lamlash Bay. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.arrancoast.com/no-take-zone/.
[8] Collin, S., (2021) How Scotland’s seas will be affected by the Programme for Government. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2021/10/how-scotlands-seas-will-be-affected-by-the-programme-for-government/.
[9] Cochrane, A., (2023) Why are Highly Protected Marine Areas so controversial? Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65456173.
[10] Collin, S., (2021) How Scotland’s seas will be affected by the Programme for Government. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2021/10/how-scotlands-seas-will-be-affected-by-the-programme-for-government/.
[11] Hay, K., (2023) HPMAs: Scottish Government scraps current plans on no-fishing zones following consultation. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/hpmas-scottish-government-scraps-current-plans-on-no-fishing-zones-following-consultation/ar-AA1dcNKZ.
[12] Cochrane, A., (2023) Why are Highly Protected Marine Areas so controversial? Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65456173.
[13] BBC (2023) Anger in Western Isles over plans to protect Scottish waters. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64914776.
[14] Brooks, L., (2023) Scottish fishers say marine protection plans will wreck coastal communities. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/05/scottish-fishers-say-marine-protection-plans-will-wreck-coastal-communities.
[15] Marine Scotland (2021) Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2020. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-sea-fisheries-statistics-2020/pages/2/.
[16] BBC (2023) Anger in Western Isles over plans to protect Scottish waters. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-64914776.
[17] Brooks, L., (2023) Scottish fishers say marine protection plans will wreck coastal communities. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/05/scottish-fishers-say-marine-protection-plans-will-wreck-coastal-communities.
[18] BBC (2023) Scottish government scraps marine conservation plan. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66053133.amp.
[19] Patrick, D., (2023) One year into fisheries management measures for English offshore MPAs. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://marinedevelopments.blog.gov.uk/2023/06/13/one-year-into-fisheries-management-measures-for-english-offshore-mpas/.
[20] Patrick, D., (2023) One year into fisheries management measures for English offshore MPAs. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://marinedevelopments.blog.gov.uk/2023/06/13/one-year-into-fisheries-management-measures-for-english-offshore-mpas/.
[21] McVeigh, K., (2022) Fishing industry still ‘bulldozing’ seabed in 90% of UK marine protected areas. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/31/fishing-industry-still-bulldozing-seabed-in-90-of-uk-marine-protected-areas.
[22] BBC (2023) Highly Protected Marine Areas: Three sites secure environmental protection. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-66110396.
[23] Sky News (2023) Scottish government scraps plan for highly protected marine areas. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://news.sky.com/story/scottish-government-scraps-plan-for-highly-protected-marine-areas-12911798?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter.
[24] COAST (n.d.) No Take Zone: Lamlash Bay. Retrieved July 2023 from: https://www.arrancoast.com/no-take-zone/.