Marine

Supporting a just transition for Scotland’s seas and people    

June 9, 2025 by Marine Directorate Communications No Comments | Category Climate Change, Just Transition, Marine ecosystem, Marine Environment

Scotland’s seas are precious.   

They play a crucial role in tackling the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Healthy seas provide habitats for marine life, absorb carbon and heat, as well as provide us with seafood and the opportunity to harness renewable energy.   

Our seas support marine businesses and provide an important source of income and employment across Scotland, particularly in rural and island communities. They are also a strong part of our cultural heritage and national identity.    

However, there are many pressures on our seas. Without halting and reversing the decline in the health of our marine environment, we risk our ability to maximise economic and social benefits from our marine resources now and in the future.     

To secure long-term benefits for businesses, people and nature in line with Scotland’s Blue Economy vision we need to transform the way we use the marine environment. We also need to manage this transformation in a way that is fair and just.   

For the Scottish Government a just transition is about both the outcome – a fairer, greener future for all – and the way we get there – in partnership with those most likely to be affected. It is about making sure that we become a net zero, nature positive and climate resilient nation, in a way that addresses inequalities and embraces new opportunities.  

As part of this commitment, it’s vital that we work together to ensure a bright future for Scotland’s seas. That means a future where all marine sectors are sustainable, profitable and working alongside nature, and where the rural and coastal communities that depend on them are thriving.    

This blog post provides some examples of what we are doing to support a just transition for Scotland’s seas and people. It also provides an update on what we will do next.  

  

What we are doing   

We are working with marine sectors and coastal communities to ensure a sustainable future for Scotland’s seas for the benefit of everyone in Scotland. Here are just a few case studies of what this looks like in practice:   

  

Case study 1: marine planning  

We are developing a new national marine plan for Scotland’s seas which will replace the current National Marine Plan (2015). Our National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will support sustainable development of our seas, protect our marine environment and deliver for our coastal communities.   

We are committed to developing the NMP2 in a way that is using a just transition approach, in partnership with those impacted by marine planning. We are doing this by:     

• engaging often and widely, sharing information as it becomes available   

• gathering feedback and views to develop the plan with those who use and depend on our seas  

• building a robust and transparent evidence-base through impact assessments, including a full socio-economic impact assessment. This will identify potential impacts of the NMP2 on marine sectors and communities, and measures that could be built into NMP2 to manage any negative impacts  

• designing NMP2 policy that enables the inclusion of diverse voices into future planning decisions and in the design of solutions for those impacted by change.    

  

Case study 2: fisheries management     

We are taking steps to improve how fisheries are managed to tackle the biodiversity crisis and identify sustainable economic opportunities.  

We are working with fishers to strengthen sustainable co-management and collaboration. This includes working in partnership with the Fisheries Management and Conservation Group (FMAC), and Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups (RIFGs).   

We are also developing a more responsive approach to inshore fisheries management. This will support the delivery of locally appropriate fisheries management solutions through a co-management approach.  

The development of fisheries management measures for marine protected areas and priority marine features has been done in close development with stakeholders. We have undertaken online and face to face meetings with the fishing industry representatives and individual fishers frequently. We have also held national public consultations on the  impact of priority marine features (PMF) and marine protected areas (MPA) management measures. As part of the socio-economic impact assessments we carried out in person local events to understand the potential local and social impacts of proposed fisheries management measures.  We will continue to work closely with communities to help them to achieve the potential economic, social, cultural and biodiversity benefits of a protected marine environment. We will ensure their voices are heard at a local level.  

 

Case study 3: funding    

The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a £500 million ten-year commitment supporting projects in the North East and Moray. We launched a new bidding round worth up to £8.5m for 2025-26, and allocated a further £7.4 million to existing projects.  

In addition, we are providing funding to support innovation in our marine sectors and to help achieve sustainable management of Scotland’s seas.    

Marine Fund Scotland has awarded over £55m since 2021, to support projects that contribute to an innovative and sustainable marine economy, support coastal communities, and contribute to Scotland’s net zero ambitions. This includes support for:  

• small and medium enterprises to diversify to sustainable practices   

• infrastructure improvement projects such as at Fraserburgh Harbour to strengthen the resilience of local marine businesses and the wider community, and to support environmental enhancements to the harbour.   

  

We help manage and provide core funding for the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF). Users of Scottish waters are able to voluntarily contribute to the fund and  re-invest in the health and biodiversity of our seas. Since May 2022, SMEEF has awarded over £3.8m to 54 varied and exciting projects across Scotland, including removing invasive species on the islands of the Forth, establishing an innovative floating garden in the Clyde, and restoring seagrass in Loch Craignish and Orkney.  

  

Case study 4: offshore wind community benefits   

Scotland’s offshore wind offers a significant opportunity to grow our local, regional and national economies, support new high-quality green jobs, and deliver benefits for our communities.   

Through Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds – as well as other projects – Scotland has the opportunity to deliver a potential pipeline of over 40 GW of offshore wind, making a significant contribution to the global floating wind capacity overall. Scottish projects are also mission-critical to the delivery of the UK Government’s Clean Power 2030 ambition, as well as wider UK and Scottish Government net zero targets. 

Through our Good Practice Principles guidance, we encourage developers to offer community benefits and shared ownership opportunities as standard on all renewable energy projects. Community benefits provide an opportunity to share in the benefits of the energy resource and can have lasting social and economic impacts. One example of that is provided below.  

The Beatrice Community Fund    

Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm Ltd established a community benefit fund during construction of the 588 MW project to support the coastal communities of Caithness, Sutherland and Moray.  

The Fund closed for applications in June 2023 having provided £6 million across 361 projects, including supporting 73 rural jobs and the enhancement of 64 community assets. Social impact research has shown that for every £1 invested by the Beatrice Partnership Fund, £3.21 in wider value was generated. Examples of projects supported include improvements to the ferry slipway at Nigg and the new East Beach Bridge at Lossiemouth.  

To ensure that community benefits deliver sustainable, meaningful outcomes and help support our just and fair transition to net zero we are undertaking a review of our Good Practice Principles guidance. This includes a public consultation, which closed in April 2025, alongside engagement with communities, industry and public and third sector stakeholders. Together, this evidence will inform a refresh of our guidance. 

  

Using evidence: the marine just transition literature reviews   

As part of our evidence-led approach, we have produced literature reviews on the topic of just transition for marine sectors and coastal communities.    

Scottish Government literature reviews are systematic analyses of existing research and evidence on topics to inform policy and practice. They are used to understand the current state of knowledge, identify gaps in evidence, and support the development of evidence-based policies.    

You can read the literature review here: Literature Review on a Marine Just Transition: UK and International Comparator Countries – gov.scot 

We are already putting in place some of the learning as demonstrated in the case studies above, and we will consider and learn from the literature review’s findings. This will include considering gaps in research that might help us better realise the challenges and benefits of the transition together with people and business.    

The review highlights some of the suggestions in the existing literature that could help make any changes fairer for coastal communities and marine sectors in Scotland. These include continuing to develop and improve engagement and participation opportunities to bring in a greater range of coastal and island voices and experiences, and to continue to improve co-management opportunities.  

Our policy work and engagement to date has already identified many of the issues highlighted in the literature reviews. Significant progress has been made to improve engagement and participation in marine policymaking, such as in the development of the NMP2, and to strengthen co-management approaches particularly in relation to inshore fisheries management. Fishing practices are closely linked to historical, cultural and social connections to the sea, particularly in coastal communities, and that is why we continue to provide funding through the MFS.  

  

What we will do next   

Lasting partnerships across all sectors and with business and communities is needed for a just transition for Scotland’s seas and people.    

We will continue to:   

• work in partnership to develop policies to support sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and policies to protect and restore our marine environment  

• embed just transition approaches in all our work to improve collaborative, participatory and evidence-led policy development   

• support projects being delivered by our partners to promote a just transition for Scotland’s seas and people 

Just transition is an ongoing conversation, and we all need to be involved to shape how we get there, in the months, years and decades ahead. We are excited to work with you to meet the challenge of ensuring a sustainable future for our seas.  We want to do this in a way that can benefit all who call Scotland home now, and in all the years to come. 

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