Report | September 21, 2020
OCEANA response to Scottish Government consultation on proposals to designate four Marine Protected Areas in Scottish waters
Oceana strongly supports the designation of the Scottish Government’s four possible Marine Protected Areas (pMPAs) of North‐east Lewis, Sea of the Hebrides, Shiant East Bank and Southern Trench. We agree with the Scottish Government and its statutory nature conservation advisers Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) that the sites meet the MPA selection guidelines, and that they are necessary to progress towards completion of the Scottish MPA network.
Scotland has a wonderful array of marine wildlife and habitats and, with over 60% of the UK’s seas under its jurisdiction, is a key contributor to the development of ecologically coherent networks of MPAs in the UK and the North‐East Atlantic. The Scottish MPA network is essential to protect biodiversity and recover our ecosystems. The MPAs are also an important contribution to the Scottish Government’s work and policy commitments to:
- Strengthen the OSPAR Convention network of MPAs for the North‐East Atlantic.
- Progress towards Good Environmental Status (GES), as set out by the Marine Strategy Framework Regulations.
- Maintain and enhance biodiversity, which is a focus of the Habitats Regulations

