Scotland’s seas are made up of a mosaic of marine ecosystems, from sea lochs to deep-sea coral reefs, which provide a diverse wealth of benefits to society, such as food, employment, and recreation.
However, the ability of marine ecosystems to provide such benefits is dependent upon their health – healthier ecosystems provide more benefits. Scotland’s seas have been subject to persistent degradation through human activity, which threatens the health of marine ecosystems and the benefits they provide.
Scotland is a maritime nation, and fishing is embedded within our society and cultural heritage. But poor management of fishing activity, and the use of damaging practices such as scallop dredging have resulted in unsustainable exploitation of commercial fish stocks and a decline in marine biodiversity, caused by physical damage to seabed habitats and bycatch (the capture and death of non-target marine species).
Scotland has the opportunity to develop a world-leading, sustainable fishing industry that can support the delivery of healthier and more productive seas.
You can find out more about the Trusts recommendations for sustainable fisheries management by reading our Fisheries Management Policy. For a full list of our policies you can visit our Policies and Positions page.