Give Scotland full marine powers, says Lochhead – Fishupdate.com

SCOTTISH National Party Shadow Environment, Rural Affairs and Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead has welcomed plans from the Scottish Marine Advisory Group to extend marine powers but said they need to go further.

Mr Lochhead was commenting after the Executive’s Advisory Group on

Marine and Coastal Strategy (AGMACS) put forward its recommendations

to manage the different uses of Scotland’s seas which would include

creating a Scottish Marine Management Organisation to give the

Scottish parliament new marine powers 200 miles out to sea.

Mr Lochhead said:

“The Scottish Parliament is bereft of powers over our precious marine

environment and this key report from the Minister’s own advisers adds

momentum to the SNP’s campaign for that to change.

“It is absurd that the EU, the UK Government and international

agreements have more say over our seas than Holyrood when Scotland is

a marine nation with one quarter of Europe’s waters. The Environment

Minister Ross Finnie claims he supports protecting our seas yet

Scotland doesn’t even have the power to stop a leaky oil tanker from

entering Scottish waters.

“It’s time for Scotland to have full marine powers. An SNP government

will demand that marine powers are transferred to the Scottish

Parliament so that Scotland can protect its marine environment.”