National Marine Plan 2: stakeholder engagement strategy and statement of public participation

1. Ministerial Foreword

This engagement strategy has been prepared to support the preparation and implementation of a new national marine plan for Scotland’s seas which will replace the current National Marine Plan (2015) (NMP).

Scotland’s National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will continue to set out the strategic policies for the sustainable development of our marine resources out to 200 nautical miles (nm). Since the first plan was published, there have been significant changes in Scotland including: the Scottish Government’s commitment to becoming a net zero nation by 2045, the impacts of EU exit, the need for a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the urgent need to tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Delivering a new national marine plan for Scotland’s Seas which protects the environment and supports our valuable marine economy and thriving coastal communities relies on speaking and working with those who know our seas best.

We want all sectors and communities to be part of developing NMP2, building shared objectives for the management Scotland’s seas, and in recognition that there will be tough choices to make as we proceed through the planning process.

That is why we have updated this strategy, so we can take time to better understand the needs of those who use or rely on Scotland’s seas, and work directly with stakeholders, using their knowledge and experiences to shape NMP2. This revised strategy sets out how and when stakeholders can get involved in developing NMP2 and reflects our commitment to sharing draft outputs from the marine planning process as they become available, offering further opportunities for industry, communities, and individuals to be involved in the iterative development of the plan.

By building in more time and opportunities to reach out across the country into our NMP2 delivery timeline, we can develop a marine plan that really delivers for the people of Scotland.

Mairi McAllan MSP

Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform