Whales and seabirds 'hit by Scottish Government failure to protect seas'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Whales, seabirds and seabeds have been put at risk by Scottish ministers failing to keep promises to protect our seas, campaigners have warned.

Eco charity Open Seas issued the damning comments after the SNP government’s own figures showed nearly three quarters of Scotland’s special marine conservation zones are failing to meet their objectives.Open Seas blasted the failings as “political neglect” while the health of our seas declines.

In particular, it highlighted how a shocking 95 per cent of Scotland’s inshore waters are still not protected from industrial scallop-dredging which lays waste to the seabed - deemed the most destructive type of fishing activity in Europe.It comes despite Scotland’s highest civil court ruling earlier this year that the government’s approach to licensing this type of fishery was unlawful.

A network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) was established around the Scottish coastline in 2014.Some of these are intended to protect specific vulnerable species, such as the minke whale and flapper skate and seabirds like the black guillemot.