David Ross
Highland Correspondent

PLANS by ministers to ensure sustainable use of the seas around Scotland
have been welcomed by environmentalists but the RSPB still has concerns.

This week it published figures of decline among some seabird populations of
up to 87%, and says Scottish Government proposals for Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs) will do nothing for most of Scotland’s seabirds.

The MPAs are one element in the joint marine consultation launched by the
Scottish Government. It will help decide how Scotland’s seas are best
managed to ensure that the likes of fishing can co-exist with the
development of offshore renewable energy projects, while protecting marine
species and habitats.

It includes Scotland’s first National Marine Plan for a single framework to
manage all activity in Scottish waters, clarifying priorities for
developers and decision makers. Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas
and Sectoral Marine Plans for Renewable Energy are also proposed.

Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said the consultation was vitally
important.

But Lloyd Austin, head of conservation policy at RSPB Scotland, urged the
Scottish Government to designate MPAs for seabirds at sea.

Calum Duncan, convenor of Scottish Environment LINK’s marine taskforce, was
more positive, saying: “These proposals represent a historic opportunity
for us to manage the marine environment in a new way.”


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