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SSMEI Clyde Pilot |
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About SSMEI The Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative (SSMEI) was instigated by the Scottish Executive in November 2002. The SSMEI recognises that Scottish coasts and seas are a vital and valuable part of our natural heritage, economy and cultural identity and that they face increasing pressure from a multitude of demands, uses and management. The need to balance these competing demands on finite marine resources presents a challenge for the Scottish Parliament to integrate the complexities of international, national and local legislation relating to activities in the marine and coastal environment and to further explore whether the introduction of domestic legislation is required to ensure a sustainable future for this important asset. The
SSMEI aims to gain an understanding of the nature, value, and management
needs of Scotland's marine environment and to identify alternative
management approaches, with a view to ensuring new management
initiatives and possible future legislation results in a truly
sustainable framework. It aims to develop and then test the
benefits of possible new management framework options, embracing
the concept of the ecosystem-based approach to protection measures, for
the sustainable development of Scotland's marine resources. The SSMEI comprises 3 phases:
Phase I - Management framework
options design and pilot project scoping; Phase II - Management framework
creation, inauguration of pilot projects; and Phase III - Pilot project
implementation. Phases I and II have now been completed. For the selected pilot areas, Phase II included: the development of management and sustainability objectives; background audits of key features and sustainability issues; investigation of the available tools for addressing these issues; initial consultation with potential project partners to identify roles, responsibilities and interests; and, production of action frameworks. Full details, including project reports, can be found on the SSMEI website (follow links to Phase II - Reports). Phase III of the SSMEI aims to implement the four pilots identified and initiated under Phases I and II. These are Shetland (begun January 2006), Berwickshire Coast (begun April 2006), Sound of Mull (yet to begin), and Firth of Clyde (begun July 2006).
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last page update: 25 January 2007 |
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