MSF 111/2013
Marine Planning & Policy - Consultation Process
Marine Planning and Policy launched on 25 July a 16 week consultation on:





Draft National Marine Plan
Proposed Marine Protected Areas
Draft Sectoral Marine Plans for Offshore Renewable Energy
Priority Marine Features
Draft Planning Circular
We also launched over 121 supporting documents covering:






Strategic Environmental Assessment
Sustainability Appraisal
Habitats and Regulatory Assessment
Socio-Economic Assessment
Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment
In addition to the above we have produced a summary leaflet for the NMP, Offshore
Renewables and MPA consultations. An eBook version of the Draft NMP is
available for free download.
Where possible GIS data covering all the consultations is available to view or
download on National Marine Plan interactive (NMPi). NMPi has over 250 registered
users to date.
A
dedicated
consultation
webpage
was
established,
www.scotland.gov.uk/marineconsultation which includes links to all the documents
and supporting materials, an events page and the presentation that’s being delivered
at events for download. We have received over 6,000 hits per month in August and
September
Publicising the consultation

Mail shot to over 1500 stakeholders informing them of the consultation
including to MSF members.

Marine Scotland “push email” that is sent to over 7500 individuals who have
signed up to through the marine Scotland website to receive updates.

All 548 libraries in Scotland sent consultation leaflets for display.

All Secondary, Primary and SEN schools sent a leaflet about consultation

Letters sent out to all 2250 Scottish fishing vessel and licence & entitlement
holders

All Local Coastal Partnerships (LCPs) were contacted in August with
consultation details and were sent consultation materials. They have where
possible helped to advertise the public events.

Notification sent to Claude Rouam, Head of the Marine Unit at the European
Commission and other adjoining sea boundary administrations.

Notification sent to all Local Authority Chief Executives and Council Leaders
informing them of consultation and events in their area.

In April the Scottish Parliament RACCE Committee held an evidence with MS
Officials about the forthcoming consultation. This was followed up with an
evidence session from the Cabinet Secretary, Richard Lochhead.
Consultation Events

27 Marine Scotland Events held around the coast and Islands with 4 more
events due to take place before the end of October in addition to the on-going
programme. 23 separate events on MPAs were hosted around the country by
SNH/JNCC.

We are also planning a stakeholder event on the Draft Planning Circular. We
will let members know the date of this when its confirmed.

Posters to advertise each event were distributed locally by MS Fishery
Officers and in some cases LCPs. Posters were also posted out to local Post
Offices, Harbour Offices, Marine recreation clubs, local shops in remote areas
and community halls.

Localised email distributions were also used to advertise each event locally
including Community Councils, Marine Recreation clubs & businesses, marine
tourism businesses, local fishing contacts etc

Press notices in 28 news publications around Scotland

Radio adverts used for 6 events

At all events USB sticks were made available that contained all the
consultation documents and respondent forms. We also had a variety of ‘popup’ banners and posters.
Other activities

All Marine Scotland Fishery Offices have supplies of consultation materials
and have helped to advertise and inform local people of events.

Touchtable technology used at a number of events to display and use maps
interactively.

Bespoke maps produced eg for the Inshore Fisheries Groups

Sectoral meetings held eg with Scottish Enterprise on 1,3 October and with
Ports and Harbours on 27 September and Planning Aid Meetings held in June
in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

Scottish Government Communications Twitter and Facebook pages have
been used to advertise events. We have also had articles on the Martine
Scotland Blog.
Offshore Renewable Energy Engagement Strategy

Marine Scotland is developing an engagement strategy to initiate agreed
procedures for proactive engagement with the sectors who could be affected
by offshore renewable energy developments in Scottish waters.

The objective of the strategy is to ensure that sectors who use or have an
interest in our marine environment are provided with relevant information at
the key planning and licensing stages through agreed processes.

Marine Strategy Forum members are already invited onto sectoral marine
planning project steering and advisory groups and hence the sectoral
representatives will be approached at the initial stage to explore effective
communication and engagement. We will scope other representative
organisation involvement with internal SG sponsorship staff and through other
contacts.
The following meetings have been organised with interested sectors:
Tourism:
Aviation
Shipping
Salmon & Rec Fisheries
Fishing
Recreation
Aquaculture
e-NGOs
Defence
Additional Fishing
Coastal Partnerships
4 October
21 October
23 October
24 October
25 October (Trilateral/Fishing Focus meeting)
28 October
30 October
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Marine Protected Areas
A series of 11 fishing focused regional events were held from mid-April to mid-July,
as well as providing updates at 2 meetings of the Northwest Waters Regional
Advisory Council and 1 meeting of the North Sea Regional Advisory Council. A
similar style of event was held with the aquaculture sector, as well as meetings with
the renewables sector and SE Link.
In addition to the consultation programme, meetings have been held with the French
Fishermen’s Federation, and the North-West Responsible Fisherman’s Association.
Meetings are scheduled with the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and SE Link.
MPAs Post consultation:
Further analysis of possible displacement of fishing activity associated with MPA
proposals will necessitate further discussions with fisheries stakeholders in
particular. The expectation is that there will be a number of regional events to
facilitate this in the next 2-3 months. In addition:



discussions with interested parties on particular NC MPA proposals arising
from the public meetings
ongoing scientific analyses by SNH and JNCC to identify additional marine
SPAs and SACs to fulfil legal duties under the EU Birds and Habitats
Directives
assessment by SNH and JNCC of the management requirements for
designated SACs and SPAs
Sciencewise
The Sciencewise Expert Resource Centre for Public Dialogue in Science and
Innovation (Sciencewise-ERC) aims to improve policy making involving science and
technology across Government by increasing the effectiveness with which public
dialogue is used, and encouraging its wider use where appropriate.
The
Sciencewise-ERC can work with and co-fund Government department and agencies
to enable them to develop and commission public dialogue activities on policy
involving science and technology.
Having received funding from Sciencewise, Marine Scotland intend to tender for
public dialogue project (focus group based) covering wider public engagement about
the marine environment and marine planning via regional consultation events across
Scotland and facilitation training.
Issues for discussion
1. The process undertaken and further suggestions
2. The volume of materials available and whether there are ways to aid
understanding and awareness of the issues contained
3. Key questions to explore for Sciencewise activity