Marine (Scotland) Act
On 10 March 2010, Scotland's Marine Bill received Royal Assent, making it the Marine (Scotland) Act.
This marks a major turning point in safeguarding the future of Scotland seas and laying the foundations for a more simplified marine planning and licensing system.
The Marine (Scotland) Act provides a framework which will help balance competing demands on Scotland's seas. It introduces a duty to protect and enhance the marine environment and includes measures to help boost economic investment and growth in areas such as marine renewables.
The main measures include:
- Marine planning: a new statutory marine planning system to sustainably manage the increasing, and often conflicting, demands on our seas
- Marine licensing: a simpler licensing system, minimising the number of licences required for development in the marine environment to cut bureaucracy and encourage economic investment
- Marine conservation: improved marine nature and historic conservation with new powers to protect and manage areas of importance for marine wildlife, habitats and historic monuments
- Seal conservation: much improved protection for seals and a new comprehensive licence system to ensure appropriate management when necessary
- Enforcement: a range of enhanced powers of marine conservation and licensing
Scottish Government General Contacts
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. It is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport.
There are several ways to get in touch:
The Scottish Government is happy to receive correspondence in Gaelic and other languages.
- Telephone Enquiry Line: +44 (0)8457 741 741 or +44 (0)131 556 8400
- Email:ceu@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
- Fax: +44 (0)1397 795 001
- Minicom: +44 (0)131 244 1829 (service for the deaf)