Inside Holyrood: By protecting our coastal waters and areas through investing in 'Blue Carbon' we can revitalise local communities around Scotland
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Our twin emergencies are reminding us of the interconnectedness of everything. Scotland is a coastal nation. That might sound odd to someone who lives in a strath or a city but if you look at a map so many of our cities, towns and villages are pressed on the coast and even the most inland communities are about 50 miles from a coast.
Around Scotland’s coasts, people are getting together to take care of this precious edge between land and sea. Often the stewarding begins with one person out for their walk, picking up the endless bits of plastic washed in on the tide. Gradually more people join, and these community efforts become supported by environmental organisations like the Marine Conservation Society with their Big Beach Clean every September.
Other groups are going further, not just cleaning their local beaches, restoring them. These groups have joined together to form the Coastal Communities Network to share ideas and experiences. They initiate projects to restore the natural coastline with native oysters or seagrass and raise awareness locally on the importance of protecting our inshore water from further degradation.
In their paper, A New Blue Deal, the New Economics Foundation (NEF) describes what a Blue Economy and locking up Blue Carbon could do given the right investment. They set out a vision for revitalising coastal communities and protecting the natural resources they depend on.
Their “aim is to balance the economic and social needs of communities with those of our marine environment, ensuring their return to prosperity.”
NEF has worked with coastal communities throughout the UK since 2015, supporting them to lead the change in how we value and interact with the marine and coastal space.
Our marine economy and jobs must support nature to regenerate. For too long, many businesses have operated with a model that prioritises maximising profit with little regard to the impacts on the natural environment or the people who work in the industry. Through restoring our coastal environments, there will be more opportunities for tourism, a diverse aquaculture sector and nature restoration jobs.
In early February, with a greater understanding of the role Blue Carbon plays in our response to the climate emergency and the degree to which we have degraded our seas, I led a debate in Parliament in support of the Coastal Communities Network and the importance of their work. MSPs from across the Chamber acknowledged and celebrated community groups in their constituencies. There is clear recognition that community efforts to steward, restore, and protect our coasts must be supported. This is why the commitment to consult on fishing activity in our inshore waters must get underway.
For more political news click here
