National Marine Parks
New National Parks that include the sea.
The National Parks (Scotland) 2000 Act includes provision for an area of the sea to be included in a National Park.
This opportunity could involve:
Extending an existing National Park (such as Loch Lomond and the Trossachs) to the coast and into the sea, and/or:
New National Parks including areas of the sea out to 12 nautical miles (such as Argyll Coast and Islands).
A National Marine Park would simplify, galvanise and collectively endorse an area of seascape for the benefit of people and place. It would support existing coastal communities, their socio-economic health and well-being, important locations (e.g. marine protected areas), and celebrate the full range of natural and cultural heritage. We could create a new generation of National Parks embracing the sea as well as the land.
Recent research (https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/2021/06/08/a-vision-for-national-marine-parks-in-scotland/) has revealed that there are significant opportunities and support to establish National Marine Parks in Scotland, both locally and nationally.
Why the contribution is important
As a country almost surrounded by the sea it is time Scotland made the most of its exquisite coastline and seascapes.
New National Marine Parks could be exemplars of sustainability, particularly in rural coastal areas. This would present an opportunity to tell the story about marine life to a wider audience, help to address disconnect between land and sea, mobilise the wider public and enable the local community to enhance local revenue generation.
The economic value generated by Scotland’s two existing National Parks is £720 million, over fifty times the £14 million invested in them by the Scottish Government per year. In 2019, Cairngorms National Park generated £309 million and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park £411 million. A new National Park which included the sea, would enhance the proven value of National Parks, by attracting new visitor spending, small business development and lifestyle opportunities for people working from home.
The socio-economic benefits of National Parks have been proven. Nature-based tourism is growing and the value of blue health benefits from spending time by the sea are becoming evident. National Parks show how working landscapes can be areas in which people live and work in harmony. There is potential for similar principles and practices to be applied to the seascape.
We believe that new National Parks should include the sea and coastal areas, reflecting the original aims of the Scottish National Parks Act. National Marine Parks could boost economic sustainability, public health, environmental recovery and revolutionise how the public see the ocean in a future Scotland.
by BlueMarine on May 27, 2022 at 05:38PM
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