Marine Concern & Seal Scotland
Welcome to Marine Concern
& Seal Scotland
Site Content:
- Sea's State A summary of the condition of Earth's seas
- Scottish Seas Seas & Seals from a Scottish perspective
- Sustainable Seas Some ideas on how to improve Earth's seas
- Contact Marine Concern + Contacts + Admin. Info
- Wildlife Watching Code Wildlife Watching & Stranding Info.
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Page Content: Please scroll down page to; -
+ News.
+ Background (Marine Science, Polar Regions, Warm Seas).
+ Times Are Changing.
(If you don't find what you are looking for please contact us for more information,
click on the links in the 'Contact' page).
NEWS
The UN High Seas Treaty places 30%
of the world's oceans into protected areas.
Great news, part of the 30 X 30 pledge: Let's take it on face value, - not before time and desperately needed!
We have added two links here due to the fact that there appears some discrepancy between time-lines; 10/20 years of deliberations. Either way, we feel that this is a step in the right direction but the devil is in the detail: What are the protection levels? When will it become a legal requirement and who is watching/prosecuting?
Much of Earth's ocean is classified as "High Seas"; outside international borders and jurisdiction. Around two thirds of earth's oceans. Currently protection is around 1 to 1.5%.
Scotland's Environment Minister Mairi McAllan Tweeted, Great news for world's oceans. Scotland already has 37% Marine Protected Area. We disputed this figure with the Minister, where she stated, Perhaps we should call them designated! We still maintain that Scottish seas, nature protection is closer to 3.7%.
Hence the saying, the devil is in the detail!
Key Words (in marine environmental protection) to Look Out For
What works; Hope Spots, Rewilding and No-Take-Zones.
What is political spin; MPAs without protection and and an absence of no-take-zones.
Phrases like, - Maximising sustainability, maximum sustainable yield, or anything similar.
The latest term to join the spin is Nature Positive, straight out of COP 15 but it appears that nobody actually knows what it means!
Also, during COP 15; what is a Protected Area? (Remember the 30 X 30 pledge, that should be 30% of land and sea protected by 2030). It looks like it might be an area that is not protected or will allow damaging activities, such as scallop dredging/bottom trawling; - Will that be called, Nature Negative?
Confused? We think you are meant to be; the 30% plus figures that you might have seen banded about by governments are generally closer to 3%, even less on the High Seas. The latest is that Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) might include fishing. The term "fully" protected appears to have been added to the repertoire; that's why we simply refer to 'No-Take-Zones', they do exactly what they state.
It gets worse, in Scotland the Scottish government has yet to define the word, - ‘SUSTAINABLE’.
More on the Sustainable Seas page.
School Assembly Talks: Rubbish & Marine Litter
We started our school assembly talks this week concerning ‘rubbish’ and ‘marine litter’, we have presented to the whole of the largest school in Ayrshire.
The feed-back has been great with many interested in getting involved with the school’s ‘Eco-Groups’. One first year pupil even mentioned the plastic eating bacteria!
A great book linking science and schools is now out; “Marine Mammals, A Deep Dive into the World of Science”. Published by Springer, it is also available as Open-Access. The chapter titled; - “Plastic Debris and its Impacts on Marine Mammals”, fits right in, with things that the full age range of school youngsters can take part in.
If we can help in any way to facilitate school/group talks please get in touch via our contacts page. It is vital that today’s young folk understand the issues that will affect them. Following a recent evidence session at the Scottish Parliament some of our elected members would benefit from reading about marine ecosystems as well (before voting on them), the lack of knowledge is frightening!
COP 27: Another year on what progress?
Another year on since COP 26 was held in Glasgow; what has occurred?
Next to nothing in political circles, three Prime Ministers but they come and go like buses, unlike the marine environment that is mainly going! Going downhill with little real protection in Scotland.
We are still waiting for a definition regarding; - sustainable. We are still waiting for evidence to Scottish government claims, including one for; “We are World leaders”!
Meanwhile we are preparing a Parliamentary Question for the Environment Minister, concerning Marine Protected Areas and Highly Protected Marine Areas; more when/if we get a response.
COP 26, A General Question to the Scottish Parliament and
The Response from the Minister.
As a 1.5oC rise in Global Warming is listed as 50/50 by scientists in the next 5 years, Marine Concern reports on a meeting held with the Scottish government Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform.
It does not make for comfortable reading, in short; -
- The proposed 30% No-Take-Zone(s), ignored.
- The purported 37% currently suggested as protected by the Scottish government, may have the term altered to, ‘DESIGNATED’, rather than afforded real protection.
- Scotland to due to have 10% Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) by 2026. No definition has been given for HPMAs.
Read more on the Sustainable Seas page.
The Clyde Cod Closure
The Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee recently posted the following,- “the closures provided for by the new SSI are smaller in size but would still remove all exemptions, meaning that fishing activity by any method would be prohibited during the seasonal closure, in order to increase the protection for spawning cod”.
We fail to see the logic in reducing an area and process that has systematically failed for the duration of the closed box. We believe that it is due to the influence of the mobile fishing sector and nothing to do with the science.
For more on the Clyde Cod Closure, please follow the link.
The Clyde has a long and proud maritime history but the herring fleet have long gone,
The cod look to be going the same way, unless bold action is taken.
__________
COP 26 Glasgow 2021
Conference of the Parties,
should it be;
Carbon, Oxides, Pollution?
OR
Chancers, Opportunists, Politicians?
We are clever enough to develop the combustion engine and computers, BUT we do not have the intelligence to protect our future, not to mention that of our kids, and future generations!
Welcome to the Anthropocene, storms, floods, droughts, fires, and temperature extremes; followed by the next Mass Extinction Event. What makes it worse, the first event actually caused by one of the planet's species.
Globally, ice fields and glaciers are melting at a faster rate than previously known.
Melting ice has a profound effect on Earth's climate. Inaction is not an option!
A recent comment of, “Blah, Blah, Blah” in relation to hot aired politicians, may not have been out of place while we are in the era of baloney and bluster. Not to mention Trump’s previous ‘roll-back’ of more than one hundred environmental rules on clean air, water, wildlife, and toxic chemicals. Taking the US out of the Paris Agreement, shows the fragility of the current system. Closer to home, the action of opening up more oil fields and coal mines while expecting other countries to reduce carbon emissions is hypocritical.
Proportionally, Scotland reflects the percentage of sea and land, with that of the Earth, most of its coverage is sea. We now know the oceans are drivers for weather, they have the ability to store and release greenhouse gases, Earth’s regulator; however huge methane hydrates are close to erupting and if the massive reserves in the Arctic erupt its game-over for humans and most of the current ecosystems.
Meanwhile here in Scotland, the host of the climate change conference, where the Scottish Green Party is now in a co-sharing power agreement, the sea appears to be the last item on the agenda. The government will have you believe that 37% of Scottish seas are protected, through Marine Protected Areas and other designations; however, this purported ‘protection’ allows for the destructive extraction methods including scallop dredging and bottom trawling, as well as, pollution from what is in reality an unregulated growing salmon farming industry. The actual level of protection i.e., no-take-zones is under 5%!
Seabed protection could sequester carbon, new algal growth would assist while producing oxygen and yet action is dormant. There is however, hope, a local MSP is due to ask the Scottish Government a marine question in Parliament, the first week of COP26….watch this space!
For more on COP, climate change and biodiversity loss, including the importance of understanding the Carbon-Cycle coming soon, such as the UN Chief saying, "We are digging our own graves"!
For more infomation and further reading, please follow the link to the Marine Concern Sustainable Seas page:
COP to Curtains
----------------------
Breaking: Seal Shooting to End in Scotland
(BUT only for fish farms)
Following deliberations in the Scottish Parliament, the shooting of seals by salmon fisheries inc. aquaculture is to cease. This has been brought about by pressure under the U.S. Marine Mammal Act (MMPA 1972), covering the imports of fish and injury/death to mammals.
The full report can be found at Scottish Seas.
A shot pregnant harbour seal, washed ashore.
Update: January 2021:
The legislation around the shooting of seals in Scotland has changed yet the Marine Scotland website has been slow to address and inform, it does state that “has removed two licensable provisions in the Act – namely protecting the health and welfare of farmed fish” and preventing serious damage to fisheries or fish farms”.
“New provisions in the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020”.
The penalty for shooting a seal has been increased to 12 months imprisonment and a £40,000 fine or, on indictment, an unlimited fine and 5 years imprisonment.
https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/scotland-bans-seal-shooting/
The Marine Scotland website has produced the following in respect to the effect of the US Imports under the Marine Mammal Protection Act with regard to the shooting of seals by UK fish farms.
A salmon farm in a Special Area of Conservation for Common Seals
38 seals were shot here in just two days, no action was taken.
“Part 6 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 seeks to balance seal conservation with other pressures and requirements, such as species conservation. On 1 February 2021 changes to Part 6 came into force which removed two reasons for which licences to kill or take seals could be granted. These are protecting the health and welfare of farmed fish and preventing serious damage to fisheries and fish farms:
- it is an offence to kill or injure a seal except under licence or to alleviate suffering
- a number of seal conservation areas around Scotland have been introduced, designed to protect vulnerable, declining Harbour seal populations
- a seal licensing system, providing a well-regulated and monitored context for seal management in Scotland is in operation”.
A fulmar in the Arctic Ocean, these birds follow ships for hundreds of miles.
Soaring on air currents produced by the ships they glide from port to starboard and back,
sometimes dipping to the seas surface to recover food in the ship's wake.
Background
Never before have the Earth's resources been put under so much pressure. One of the main issues is that of the human population and aspirations to 'improve' and grow. Generally, the western world uses far greater resources per-capita. The problems that Earth faces are complex, not just a question of population but also a combination of population, life-style and industrial growth. It was once suggested that we would never over-fish global stocks, we still empty rubbish into the oceans as if they are bottomless; our actions have adverse effects. We don't fully understand marine ecosystem interactions; our concept of, "out of sight, out of mind" and profit over environmental issues, prevails.
Orca with a White Sided Dolphin, one of the 'residents' in the Johnson Strait of Canada's west coast. The residents are fish eaters; over-fishing and the growth of salmon farms are having an adverse effect.
The Box Theory
The 'Box Theory': Putting it simply, we live in a 'box' or rather a sphere; nothing can come in or go out. Now that the human population has exceeded seven billion, the earth is literally bulging at the seams. Commercial resources are under great pressure and the question of what to do with the waste has not been thoroughly thought through.
We are now starting to see the effect on our oceans, nowhere free from plastics, nowhere safe from exploitation or pollution. Unbridled growth has a cost, from climate change to biodiversity loss. Conditions are changing, species are threatened, anthropogenic activities are causing major unbalance to Earth systems.
Walrus, one of the Arctic's iconic mammals. These mammals have evolved to deal with the freezing waters, oddly enough they need ice in order to haul-out, warm and rest, especially the young. Arctic ice is becoming thinner and covering less sea area year on year, making existence for these animals harder.
Marine Science
Science has long been aware that Earth's oceans have a huge effect on the climate, but it has only been more recently that we have seen advances in marine science and the major implications that our actions have not only on the climate, but seawater acidity, marine ecosystems and the food-web.
The Rio 'Earth' Summit in 1992 raised issues about Climate Change and more than 150 countries signed up to its accords. At last, governments are starting to take it seriously, that said, the Trump era shows just how precarious environmental issues are. Will it be enough, will it be in time to actually make a difference or will governments slip back and renege on their commitments?
During the Earth Summit, Biodiversity Loss was also part of the agenda, also signed up to by the 150 or so countries however, biodiversity appears to have taken a back-seat on the world scene but in the marine environment, where we still don't fully understand the effects of food-web interactions, this lack of action may just come back to haunt us!
The Global problem with plastic has been highlighted for years but few have taken it seriously, until now it seems. BBC's Blue Planet II was 2017 best-watched program with more than 14 million people watching. The plastic problem was highlighted with graphic scenes. As a result, the public is better informed and many are concerned for the future. The UK government purportedly raised the bar by addressing the issue; a 'World Leader' they stated but giving a 25-year time scale is hardly taking the matter sincerely, we need to act and act now.
Ghost Fishing: This discarded fishing net was photographed high up in the Arctic Circle, north of 80 Degrees!
Close to the ice pack, this fishing net may have been covered, uncovered, and covered, again and again by annual ice cycles. It may have circled the Arctic, even the Atlantic by ocean gyres for many years.
Ghost fishing kills indiscriminately.
A Polar Bear or 'Ice Bear' as they are often called. Pictured of the east coast of Greenland.
Ice loss is causing a major problem for the Arctic. Some of the loss is due to climatic change, but the input of fresh water from melts is accelerating sea water change, reducing sea water density, reducing the deep water movement.
Polar Regions
The Polar Regions have been highlighted in the media in recent years and for good reason, as it is these northern and southern extremes that are subject to an accelerated escalation in temperatures. An increase, just a small increase in temperature in the polar regions can and will have catastrophic affects to more than just our climate. Recent records have been broken in Siberia, approaching 40 degrees Centigrade and these extremes on a global scale have a profound effect.
Cold, salty, hence dense seawater sinks from the Arctic Ocean and effectively gives the ocean conveyor a ‘kick-start’. The ocean conveyor extends around the globe and has an influential effect on our climate; global climate! Seawater density is important as it creates layers of isolated waters which circumnavigate oceans. Ocean gyres form, the North Atlantic Gyre being the most important for western Europe. The Gulf Stream transports warming water from the Gulf of Mexico, it separates over the Mid Atlantic Ridge and one of the spurs, the North Atlantic Drift Current is the basis for the mild wet weather experienced in Scotland, especially on the west coast. Its importance can be seen in the vegetation along Scotland’s west coast, the best terrestrial indication of the influence of the North Atlantic Drift Current is probably seen in the temperate ‘oak’ rain forests. Canada and Alaska have glaciers at the same latitude and that’s just the ‘tip of the iceberg’….sorry.
It is not just one ocean current that influences Scotland, the Canary Current, Continental Shelf Current and Boreal Currents all have an influence, so much so that the convergence of these currents, combined with Ekman Spirals and continental shelves produce nutrient up-welling, these in turn enable phytoplankton blooms. This abundance of food, combined with the convergence of warm and cold waters result in a pronounced species diversity and an increase in biomass, the west coast of Scotland has a similar species abundance as that of warm coral reef regions.
Temperature change does not just effect ocean currents. Melting permafrost has a profound effect, too much fresh water input can be cataclysmic in the Arctic, not only does it alter the seawater density but ‘green-house’ gases such as carbon dioxide and the more damaging methane get absorbed into the water, this in turn alters the Hydrogen ion concentration making the seawater more acidic (The Carbon Cycle).
Sea ice in the Greenland Sea
Glacier, Svalbard
Ocean acidification has a dissolving effect on the shells of shellfish, both aragonite and calcium carbonate, the basis for animal shells. Molluscs especially are composed of the more susceptible aragonite, these in turn are the main food source for walrus, in one jump the whole food web is adversely affected.
Combine these changes with the reduction in sea ice and the effect that has on the albedo effect (reflecting the suns energy), coastal erosion, acceleration of the Greenland ice sheet and rising sea-levels, the overall effect will be disastrous on ‘keystone' species such as polar bears.
Methane hydrates can be found in the Arctic seabed deposits, they form a massive energy reserve, however a small temperature change could cause them to erupt, causing huge amounts of additional methane into the atmosphere, this creates a ‘positive feedback loop’, this is nothing good as ‘positive’ refers to acceleration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Some scientists consider that we are approaching a ‘tipping-point’, once reached there will be no turning back!
Fires are yet another side-effect of global warming, producing yet more climate changing gases into the atmosphere, and then aerosols add into the mix, this is a cataclysmic event in the waiting. All this and we have not even covered the anthropogenic increases in climate changing gases and emissions.
The Polar Regions; A time-bomb in the waiting!
The virus pandemic has created a ‘lock-down’ event, where approximately one third of the global population has had what has been described as the ‘anthropause’, it has still not been enough to prevent current predicted temperature changes for the future, that said it has shown that capitalist society can change if it wants to, but will it and will it change in time?
Melting Ice Statue, Alaska
Amazing Colours in Ice Melt, Greenland
Calving Glacier, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Warm Seas - Warming Seas
It is not just the polar regions that are under threat; coral reefs, atolls and low lying islands are in dire straits.
Warming seas bring their own problems from sea level rise from thermal expansion to more extreme climatic events, warmer air carries more water; larger temperature extremes are the root cause of tropical storms, which often are not limited to the tropics.
Warm seas are not exempt from the effects, a minor alteration in coral growing regions is sufficient to cause 'bleaching', long term bleaching is causing mass die-offs around the world. Ocean acidification causes corals to dissolve further disrupting this unique habitat.
A small alteration in temperature could result in numerous barriers to fish and other species that are temperature dependent. Spawning and rearing parts of the fish lifecycles are particularly vulnerable to temperature change, trout, salmon and cod are an example of fish that suffer. It may not be possible for the fish to migrate to different locations, the habitats may be unsuitable, could even have a busy port or harbour for example where the fish could live. As some fish require colder water, it has been suggested that the warming Arctic may be a solution but this is probably not suitable either as the warmer Arctic is also becoming more brackish from freshwater input. If temperature alone were not a big enough issue to overcome, the temperature changes are also likely to adversely affect the bottom of the food chain, phytoplankton; no food, no fish and for us, no fish, no food!
Changes in species diversity has unknown effects on trophic levels.
Whole islands, island communities and huge areas of densely populated land are at risk of becoming submerged.
Regions of oligotrophic waters rely on differing systems to support life, coral reefs are one such ecosystem which is under threat.
Coral bleaching, where the coral polyps expel the algae component causes major disruption and can cause the death of the entire reef.
Problems from fishing of the top predators causes untold and often unknown turmoil to food webs. Ocean acidification bleaches corals, one of the globes greatest habitats in nutrient deficient waters.
In fact many of the world's major cities lie close to sea level and are at threat from rising tides and storm surges.
Times are changing BUT are we going far enough, fast enough?
Climate change and biodiversity loss have been high up in the media recently, helped by BBC’s Blue Planet ll and the Schools Strike, then politicians get in on the act; “Change by 2050”, Change by 20?? And some environmentalists want change by 2025.
What’s possible? What’s needed? How can we do it?
Two consultations have been banded around recently, firstly, The proposals on a ‘Circular Economy’ and secondly, a call for evidence regarding ‘Highly Protected Marine Areas’ (links below).
Before we start it is important to point out that Great Britain is no longer, ‘GREAT’, rather devolved and many powers have been redistributed to the four nations but in order to confuse matters, Westminster retains some as well. If that were not easy to follow, Brexit or not Brexit will also add to the mix of confusion. Whatever your views on the EU, some of our strongest and most wide-reaching marine protection originates from the EU! Natura 2000 and the Habitats Directive. We are going to use a few acronyms like, SPAs & SACs without explanation and no apologies as hopefully you will see why in the next paragraph.
Over recent years there have been numerous attempts to afford protection to various marine locations, these have taken various forms and names attributed to them. Here are just a few,- MPAs, HPMAs, SACs, SPAs, MNPs, Marine Reserves, Highly Protected Marine Reserves and that’s without going into legislation that protects various marine animals like cetaceans which have their own specialist designations….OR DO THEY?
With so much being ‘PROTECTED’ one could think well what’s the problem, why do we need MORE! Part of the problem here lies firmly with the politicians, many pressurised by the powerful fishing and aquaculture industries. “Yes we will establish MPAs but don’t worry they won’t stop any of your damaging, exploitive activities”. What followed were HPMAs and so on. This is where the term, “Paper-Parks” comes from, something Scotland is good at!
No-Take-Zones
Lost with the acronyms? Well actually it doesn’t matter what you call them if they DO NOT AFFORD Protection then they are ALL just about USLESS! So, the names given, the acronyms that follow are almost meaningless. That is unless they include areas of NO-TAKE and in some places NO-PUT, these are known as the, - “No-Take-Zones” and when policed properly with penalties at actually deter then we start to make a difference.
This is not about being long haired hippies, just being pragmatic, the human population now well exceeds 7 Billion people and what we do has a massive effect on the planet, which in turn has an effect on us and our ability to survive. We don’t use the word, ‘survive’ lightly as if we do nothing then it will be our survival at stake. We hear some say what’s the point, what difference will be recycling ONE bottle make BUT if done properly this is NOT JUST ONE bottle, it could be 7 Billion bottles! Multiplied by the numbers used over a lifetime….that adds up. As for those that say, I want to keep my lifestyle, jetting off to all corners of the World, there are other means and even they could try being less of a burden as it is OUR children and everything else that will suffer. Two simple ways forward are circular economy and no-take-zones.
Circular-Economy
“A circular economy is one in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible. It can benefit the environment, by cutting waste and carbon emissions; the economy, by improving productivity and opening up new markets; and communities, by providing local employment opportunities”.
https://consult.gov.scot/environment-forestry/circular-economy-proposals-for-legislation/
The now disbanded Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution produced a report called ‘Turning the Tide’, one of the most important sections for future sustainability was the need for ‘No-Take-Zones and with current pressures to assist in future fisheries etc. called for 30% of sea area to be “No-Take”.
Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) are the next nearest thing and DEFRA ran a consultation which is now closed, we await the outcome but it is not rocket science to understand that protecting specific areas will be beneficial from the mass exploitation, much of it damaging, meeting the immediate needs of 8 + Billion people.
On top of that even today with our modern scientific equipment and understanding we don’t fully understand the intricacies of marine ecosystems and the adverse effects of our actions…that’s why we introduced the Precautionary Principle, and it was signed up to by around 150 countries at the Rio (Earth) Summit in 1992.
We don’t need MORE consultations; we NEED action before it is too late. What we do know about are, ‘tipping points’ and Positive and Negative Feedback loops, these exacerbate a situation, they are known to accelerate conditions some good, some not so much!
Circular Economy and No-Take-Zones are just two ways to help overcome the burden of our bulging population, it would be a start in the right direction but it needs to be in action not just parked in some political history book….the elephant in the room; nearly 8 Billion people and the methods to sustain them!
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