National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Scoping Report: Consultation Analysis

1. Background

Not only in Scotland, but globally, the decisions that govern our oceans are vital to the future of our planet. Our National Marine Plan provides the planning framework for the strategic management of our seas and supports sustainable development.

Since its adoption in 2015, the current National Marine Plan has undergone two statutory reviews in 2018 and 2021. The 2021 statutory review concluded that whilst the plan remained effective there is an urgent need to update the plan to better reflect emerging matters including tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and support for the transition to net zero.

The decision to update and replace the existing National Marine Plan was formally announced by Ministers in Parliament in October 2022 and in the Programme for Government 2022-23 and re-affirmed in the First Minister’s Policy Prospectus in April 2023

The development of a new National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) is underway. We are adopting a Blue Economy approach to the plan. This will help get the right framework in place to address the increasing competition for marine space and resources, acknowledging the variety of demands and needs for, and from, the marine environment whilst continuing to support licencing and consenting decisions.