1. Marine Planning in Scotland Linda Rosborough Director – Marine Scotland

2. MARINE SCOTLAND Directorate of Scottish Government: Marine policy
(fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, nature conservation, marine planning, MSFD)
Marine Licensing
Marine Scotland Science
Marine Scotland Compliance

3. The Scottish Marine Planning Area
Scotland’s seas are a vast and vital natural resource. Covering over 450,000 km2 they are home to an awe-inspiring range of species and habitats; provide food and energy and contribute to our health and wellbeing.
We recognise that we must protect and enhance the marine environment so that the benefits it provides continue to sustain future generations.
Marine Scotland is developing Scotland’s first National Marine Plan: it will cover inshore and offshore waters – devolved and reserved activities. It will build on existing management regimes to provide one framework for all the activity which takes place in Scottish waters.

4. Marine planning
Promote sustainable use of marine resources and economic development
Manage conflict in the marine environment and inform decision making
Contribute to the delivery of Good Environmental Status
Joining up of various sectoral policies i.e. consideration of each sector’s aspirations and objectives in the context of wider marine usage.
2. Conflict – potential for more conflict in the future
3. Good environmental status – as required by the MSFD. MSFD outlines various descriptors of GES - Marine planning will implement measures (as they are developed) over time.

5. Drivers & Legislation
The need for improved management of marine environment led to the introduction of the Marine (Scotland) Act – royal assent in 2010
Introduced a number of areas:
A framework for statutory marine planning – at a national and regional level
Enhanced nature conservation powers – powers to designate Marine Protected Areas and improved seal protection.
Improved licensing arrangements – streamlined processes for efficiency

6. Legislative Planning for Scotland
MSA & MCAA
Marine Scotland Act and Marine and Coastal Access Act provides legislative basis for a marine planning system in Scottish inshore (0 -12nm) and offshore waters ( nm)
MPS
Marine Policy Statement is the UK framework for marine plans and taking decisions
National Marine Plan
National Marine Plans will translate the MPS into policy and spatial guidance for the Regional Marine Plans
Regional; Marine Plan
Regional Marine Plans will provide greater spatial policy and guidance at a local level for inshore area (0 – 12nm).
Legislative Planning for Scotland
Marine plans will inform decision-making relating to a plan area. The MPS does this in absence of a plan.
Development of marine plan for offshore area delegated to Scottish Ministers, but UK Secretary of State for DEFRA must agree before publication & adoption.

7. Legislative requirements
The condition of the area – summary of significant pressures and human impacts
Policies for sustainable development
Economic, social, marine ecosystem and climate change objectives
Policies on MPAs and other relevant nature conservation designated sites
Conformity with Marine Policy Statement
Public participation; consultation; Parliament; Ministerial adoption
Monitoring
NMP reviewed every 5 years

8. Scottish Pressures
Scotland's Marine Atlas - Information for the National Marine Plan is an assessment of the condition of Scotland's seas, based on scientific evidence from data and analysis, supported by expert judgement. It provides baseline information from which the national marine plan will be developed.
Scottish Pressures identified include:
1. Conflict – potential for more conflict in the future
Joining up of various sectoral policies i.e. consideration of each sector’s aspirations and objectives in the context of wider marine usage.
Achieving Good environmental status – as required by the MSFD. MSFD outlines various descriptors of GES ; Marine planning will implement measures (as they are developed) over time.

9. E-publication now available at:
Scotland’s Marine Atlas has recently (March 2013) been made available as an e–publication to widen its appeal and make it available on new technology platforms (such as iPads and Kindles) as well as the traditional pdf and HTML for personal computers.

10. National Marine Plan How do we get there? Current position
GES and HLMOs
Sectoral objectives
Development and use managed sustainably.
Conflict managed,
pressures eased
Current position
What condition are our seas in now?
Vision for our seas
clean, healthy, safe, productive, biologically diverse
Marine planning
How can marine planning help achieve our vision?

11. National Marine Plan Key Dates
Summer week Public Consultation
December 2013 UK Ministerial Consideration & Approval of Plan for adoption
Spring Scottish Ministerial Consideration
Summer 2014 Scottish Parliamentary consideration
Autumn Adoption of Plan

12. National Marine Plan
Sets out how we expect marine resources to be utilised in future
Contains national strategic objectives
Adopts policies to ensure utilisation undertaken sustainably
Will guide and direct decision makers and developers
Will guide planning at a regional level
Re-drafted following pre-consultation draft NMP:
The Plan contains general policies designed to ensure that all future decisions lead to sustainable economic growth which is sensitive to the environment, other users and the long-term health of the seas.
It also contains specific policies for Devolved & reserved activities [Aquaculture, Fisheries, Wild Fisheries, Marine Energy, Tourism & Recreation, Defence…] relating to economic productivity, environmental limits, interactions with other users and climate change. Sectoral policies cover:
A presumption in favour of development has been redefined as a presumption in favour of sustainable development and use and is more clearly explained.
Climate change adaptation and mitigation policies have been introduced at a both a strategic and sectoral level.
A greater emphasis has been placed on ecosystem services and the benefits of healthy and resilient marine ecosystems to society and industry.
Marine planning is intended to introduce better integrated management of our seas, in order to protect our marine ecosystem and the many services it provides – services which underpin social and economic wellbeing.

13. Aquaculture Locational Guidance for fish farming 32% increase in finfish 80% increase in shellfish
Categories 1, 2 and 3 as defined under Marine Scotland’s Locational Guidelines for the Authorisation of Marine Fish Farms published March 2010 Category 3 areas likely acceptable, Category 2 degree of precaution and Category 1 presumption against further development.
Designated on the basis of Marine Scotland Science (MSS) predictive models to estimate environmental sensitivity of sea lochs. 13

14. Draft NMP accompanying documents
Sustainability Appraisal (includes Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment)
Partial BRIA and Equality Impact Statement
Planning Circular on interactions between
Terrestrial and Marine Planning.
Planning Circular:
All developments and activities which take place in Scotland’s seas have implications onshore too – ranging from changing infrastructure requirements to the impacts on communities of economic growth or decline. The Scottish Government has produced a circular which explores the linkages between the marine and terrestrial planning systems; provides guidance about joint working; and sets out some case studies.

15. Summer Consultation
Draft National Marine Plan consultation expected summer 2013
(16 weeks)
Align with linked consultation process for Marine Protect Areas Network & Marine Renewables Sectoral Plans
Get Involved:
29 National and Local Public Events
Marine Strategy Forum
Stakeholder Meetings
Online Publications
Visit Marine Consultation Webpage (above)
Join our distribution list by ing:
Benefits of joined approach:
Integration of spatial information
Consultations separate but consistent
Joined up events / resources

16. Summer Consultations: Marine Protected Areas
The Marine Scotland Act 2010 also provides measures for improved marine nature and historic conservation through powers to designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect and manage areas of importance fro marine wildlife, habitats and historic.
Scientists have also developed a list of Priority Marine Features – key habitats and species within Scotland’s seas which would benefit from site based protection and/or other management measures.
A public consultation on MPA proposals and a list of Priority marine Features will published in summer 2013. .
The process has held true to a science-led approach for identifying sites for inclusion in the network
Number of proposals: Aim to consult on 33 proposals, or as close to that number as possible. The MPA consultation will seek views on the proposed network and individual site proposals

17. Draft MPA Network Proposals
33 MPA proposals, and 4 search locations In addition to:
187 protected areas in our Scotland’s seas:
47 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for colonies of seabirds ie puffins
46 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for species and habitats such as bottlenose dolphin, coral reefs and seals; One of these SACs, Hatton Bank for reefs, is the largest in Europe;
and 94 Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) for the further protection of species from seabirds and seals to habitats from sea caves and rocky shores. 17

18. Summer Consultations: Sectoral Marine Plans for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal
The sectoral marine plan for offshore wind [Blues Seas Green Energy] is being reviewed and sectoral marine plans are currently being developed for Wave Energy and Tidal Energy in Scottish Waters.
Sectoral Marine Plans will contain Scottish Ministers policies, including their spatial strategy to steer commercial scale offshore renewable energy development in Scottish Waters.
The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters were identified in the Scottish Government’s Strategic Environmental Assessment as areas of high energy resource for wave and tidal power. To aid potential development and to guide development opportunities, draft Regional Locational Guidance and a Marine Spatial Plan Framework for the region have been published.
Scotland’s seas have massive potential to provide renewable energy. They contain approximately 25% of Europe’s tidal resource, 25% of its offshore wind resource and 10% of its wave potential.
Harnessing this potential to develop a sustainable and successful marine renewables energy industry in Scotland is a major priority for Scottish Ministers.
The proposals are the culmination of a planning process which has considered the marine resource available, and the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, to determine the most appropriate locations for future developments.

19. Draft Plan Options for Offshore Renewables
Scotland’ seas hold an estimated 25% of Europe's offshore wind and wave resource and 10% of tidal resources
Total 28 plan options: 10 draft Plan Options for offshore wind energy, 8 for wave energy and 10 for tidal energy
These may altered as a result of the socio-economic and environmental assessments prior to inclusion in the draft Plans.
Following the consultation, Scottish Ministers will decide on the options to be adopted in the Final Plan. 19

20. Scottish Marine Regions
Regional Marine Planning in Scotland – Where we are
Provisional plan is to form 2 MPPs a year until we have complete coverage around the Scottish coast.  
Consultation on the SMR Boundaries closed on 28th February.
Next step is laying of Order in Scottish Parliament.
Working with local coastal partnerships to develop Marine Planning Partnerships (MPPs) in a step-wise manner.
Responsibility for developing Regional Marine Plans will be devolved to MPPs, with the first RMPs being developed from 2014.
Scottish Marine Regions
Identified 11 marine regions.

21. Marine Planning interactive (NMPi)
National Marine Plan interactive (NMPi) is being developed to provide a GIS
platform to support the consultation on the draft National Marine Plan.
This includes updating data sets used in Scotland’s Marine Atlas and developing
‘story pages’ which give more information and context to the data. NMPi can be
accessed at: /
Marine Scotland is developing (NMPi), so that data are even more accessible, and the information that was provided in the Atlas is kept updated. NMPi is a web based GIS that allows stakeholders to load data onto a screen for an area of their choice and create their own maps. NMPi is in development and has a regularly increasing number of data layers, some of which can be downloaded to users' own computers.
NMPi will host spatial data as identified in the National Marine Plan.

22. Linda Rosborough Director – Marine Scotland
Summer Consultation- Join our distribution list at: For further information on Marine Planning contact :