Proposal to designate a Deep Sea Marine Reserve in Scottish waters

Closed 31 Dec 2019

Opened 27 Sep 2019

Contact

0131 244 7979

Marine_Conservation@gov.scot

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

The Scottish Government's vision for the marine environment is of clean, healthy, safe, productive and diverse seas; managed to meet the long term needs of nature and people.

We would welcome your views on the creation of a Deep Sea Marine Reserve to the West of Scotland, as part of the Scottish Marine Protected Area (MPA) network. This consultation fulfils a Programme for Governemnt commitment.

If taken forward to designation, the site would be underpinned by the powers in the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. This means in legal terms it would have the same status as the other existing Marine Protected Areas in offshore waters.
 
The West of Scotland area, if designated, would help meet our international commitments to protect the marine environment in the North-East Atlantic, as required under the Oslo and Paris Conventions (OSPAR Convention). Ten of the identified habitats and species in the West of Scotland area are on the OSPAR threatened and/or declining list.
 
Dee Sea Marine Reserve: West of Scotland area
 
A video shows the West of Scotland prosed Marine Protected area.
 
To view the proposed West of Scotland Area in relation to the rest of Scotland's MPA network, please visit Marine Scotland Maps.

Why your views matter

This consultation seeks your views on the case for designating the West of Scotland as a Deep Sea Marine Reserve; in particular:

  1. The scientific case for the designation of the West of Scotland area
  2. The conservation objectives and potential management advice 
  3. The potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of West of Scotland area

This page serves as notice under Section 119 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

Read the consultation paper

What happens next

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at http://consult.gov.scot. If you use the consultation hub to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to help us. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so. An analysis report will also be made available.

Interests

  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Marine and Fisheries