Press Release
THE CROWN ESTATE BACKS LEGISLATION FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF SCOTLAND’S MARINE ENVIRONMENT
18 January 2007
The Crown Estate today welcomed moves to create a new statutory framework for improving the management of Scotland’s marine environment.
In evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Environment and Rural Development Committee’s Marine Environment Inquiry, the organisation urged that such powers should complement those being considered by the rest of the UK and Europe in order to ensure consistency in marine management and deliver real benefits for Scotland.
Years of experience and expertise means that The Crown Estate is in a unique position to support initiatives ranging from improvements in marine spatial planning to the potential creation of marine national parks.
Its evidence pointed to three priority issues for Scotland’s complex marine environment:
- A management approach based on sustainable development which complements UK and European strategies
- Balancing the need for marine economic development with environmental protection
- Clarity of guidance and regulation to enable marine businesses to deliver economic, social and environmental objectives.
“The marine environment plays a key role in the lives of many communities across Scotland”, said Ian Pritchard, Head of the Scottish Marine Estate at The Crown Estate. “Good management of the marine environment requires a combination of sound science and good governance to ensure that we balance social needs with the need to protect the environment.”
The Crown Estate’s interest in the marine environment is as owner of much of the foreshore and seabed in Scotland. Its varied experience and interests include aquaculture, moorings, ports, harbours, cables and pipelines, renewable energy, conservation and environmental stewardship.
The organisation believes that its UK wide role and its depth of expertise on marine issues put it in a position to play a key role in helping to implement the Scottish Marine Strategy and any further statutory measures introduced by the Scottish Executive. The Crown Estate’s experience and UK-wide remit puts it in an ideal position to implement Scotland’s strategy where it requires transnational agreements.
Ian Pritchard said: “We can offer practical knowledge, experience and expertise on all aspects of the management and protection of the seabed and foreshore. As the leading organisation with a UK-wide remit on marine issues, we understand the issues and complexities affecting the coastline, foreshore and seabed – from harbours and mooring rights to aquaculture and renewable energy. We will play our full part in assisting those who are responsible for developing the most appropriate statutory and regulatory framework for the marine environment.
“The Crown Estate is run as a national asset and decisions are taken to preserve and enhance the long term public benefit. We are an important contributor to many aspects of the Scottish economy and the management of Scotland’s marine interests,” added Mr Pritchard.
In the year to 31 March 2006, The Crown Estate contributed £11.5 million from its urban, rural and marine activities in Scotland to its overall surplus of £180 million, all of which goes to the Exchequer to support public expenditure throughout the United Kingdom.
Through the Marine Stewardship Fund The Crown Estate has invested over a million pounds over five years in over 80 projects designed to support marine communities in Scotland. It is the second largest investor after the Scottish Executive in the Scottish Aquaculture Research Programme and has also been supporting the development of offshore wind power.
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