Marine charity calls for sea life protection

Charity representatives met with the Holyrood environment secretary yesterday to request the protection of 33 areas of Scotland’s seas and sea lochs.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said measures are needed to stop the decline and damage of habitats which is leaving some species under threat.

Its “Sea Champions” handed over more than 3,750 pledges of support for its proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) network – “safe havens” for sea life – to ­Richard Lochhead at the Scottish Parliament.

More than 1,000 votes have been submitted in support of MPA proposals for areas including Loch Fyne, Loch Sween, Loch Sunart and Lochs Duich, Alsh and Beg, it said.

Calum Duncan, MCS Scotland programme manager, said: “The Scottish Government’s own conservation experts recommended 33 MPA proposals in December 2012 and MCS is urging that all of these be included in the public consultation on the issue.

“We owe it to this and future generations to properly look after our most precious resource.

Mr Lochhead welcomed the work of the MCS on the issue.