The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the future of ours seas. Take action to protect it.
The way fish are caught in Scotland can have a serious impact on the health of our seas.
Our seas were once protected from this impact by a rule which banned bottom trawling within three miles of the shore. It protected the environment, coastal fisheries and jobs.
In 1984 this ‘inshore limit’ was axed. Today bottom-trawling is allowed in 90% of our coastal seas, scallop dredging in 95%. Since then many fish stocks in these coastal waters have plummeted. So too have the numbers of fishermen in our communities
Scotland’s seabed habitats are its greatest carbon sink, yet they have been reduced to a fraction of their historic extent. Scotland has an opportunity to change that – bringing back a modern version of an inshore limit will help recover habitats and productive, resilient fisheries. Everyone must be supported through this transition.
By investing in the recovery of our seas, we can build a better future for communities, fishermen and the many who rely on a productive, diverse environment.
Now is our chance to change.
We need to take action now to bring our seas, communities and fisheries back from the brink. And crucially we need to show there is wide support for change.