New marine restoration and enhancement guidance launched to support a thriving future for Shetland’s seas.

UHI Shetland is pleased to announce the publication of the document “Guiding Marine Restoration and Enhancement in the Shetland Islands” funded via Marine Fund Scotland under the Scottish Government’s Delivering Scotland’s Blue Economy Vision. The document aims to support and guide sustainable marine actions in Shetland’s seas and coast, which are relevant and tailored to Shetland’s unique marine environment.

As global and national momentum builds around marine restoration and enhancement, it is important that place-based guidance specifically tailored to Shetland is available that considers our unique coastal and marine ecosystems and the communities, industries, and species that rely on them. The guidance is the result of an engagement project by UHI Shetland, shaped by contributions from residents, stakeholders, and organisations across the Shetland Islands.

The release of this document marks an advancement in locally led sustainable marine management. It is intended to complement the local Shetland Islands Regional Marine Plan and Scotland’s forthcoming national plan for marine and coastal restoration, due for release by the end of 2025.

This document has also been officially endorsed as a Decade Activity under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). This recognition highlights the project’s contribution to the global effort to advance ocean science and sustainability.

While advisory in nature, the document is intended to inform a wide range of initiatives, from government-funded and philanthropic projects to developer-led mitigation activities. It identifies potential opportunities for action, sets out eleven co-developed guiding principles, and presents locally relevant case studies that showcase previous activities that have supported a sustainable marine environment in Shetland, providing examples of activities that are relevant and have been supported and beneficial to the Shetland community. These range from the Redd Up, Fishing for Litter, SSMO closed areas, and the Hermaness board walk.

“Shetland’s marine environment is home to a wide range of marine life and supports the cultural and economic fabric of island life,” said Tanya Riley, Marine Scientist at UHI Shetland. “This project and resulting document have been developed with local insight and reflect local priorities, and the importance of sustainable management to support our marine environment and dependent communities in the long-term.”