Marine Directorate
The Marine Directorate is a directorate of the Scottish Government responsible for managing Scotland's seas and freshwater fisheries along with delivery partners NatureScot and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. From April 2009 until June 2023, the directorate was known as Marine Scotland.History
The Marine Directorate was established on 1 April 2009, merging two executive agencies and the Scottish Government marine and fishery policy divisions.Overview
Responsibilities
The Marine Directorate provides management and research of devolved responsibilities such as:
The Marine Directorate has around 700 staff, covering a range of professions including scientists, sea fishery officers, sailors, policy, administrative and professional/ technical staff.Locations and Assets
Staff are located across Scotland including :
- Major Scottish Government offices, for example Victoria Quay and Atlantic Quay.
- The Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen.
- Freshwater laboratories at Faskally and Montrose.
- Fishery offices at Eyemouth, Anstruther, Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Buckie, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Scrabster, Kinlochbervie, Lochinver, Ullapool, Stornoway, Portree, Mallaig, Oban, Campbeltown, and Ayr.
The Marine Directorate operates two main research vessels which are fitted with a wide range of deployment and recovery facilities for fishing gear and equipment, scientific and environmental sensors, and data gathering systems:
Additionally, MRV Temora is used for sampling as part of the Long Term Climate Change Monitoring Programme.The Marine Directorate operates three Marine Protection Vessels :
- MPV Minna
- MPV Jura
- MPV ''Hirta''
Surveillance Aircraft
Since August 2025, the Marine Directorate will no longer operate its previously owned aircraft. Aerial surveillance capabilities have transitioned to a cross-government arrangement, now delivered through the UKSAR2G service, operated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. This collaboration ensures continued high-quality aerial monitoring in support of our marine and fisheries enforcement responsibilities.The Marine Directorate operates the UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre, on behalf of the four UK fisheries administrations. The UKFMC acts as the UK single-point-of-contact for manual reporting of ERS, VMS and other EU/national fisheries schemes.Divisions
Director's Office
Iain Wallace is interim Director of the Marine Directorate. The Director's Office provides corporate services such as business management, communications, information quality, data management, statistics, socio-economic and geographic analysis.Compliance
The Compliance division monitors and enforces marine and sea fishing laws in Scottish waters. It reports as appropriate to the Scottish prosecuting authorities and provides intelligence on fishing activity in the seas around Scotland.Science
The Marine Directorate's Science division undertakes research and provides scientific and technical advice to the Scottish Government on a number of marine and fisheries issues including aquaculture and fish health, freshwater fisheries, sea fisheries and the marine ecosystem in Scotland's seas.Marine Planning & Policy (MPP)
The Marine Directorate's Planning & Policy division covers three main policy areas and the Licensing Operations Team.Marine Spatial Planning
The Marine Directorate is involved in marine spatial planning at both at a national and regional level. Scotland's was published in 2011 as a baseline assessment, with Scotland's first published in 2015. The information from the Atlas and National Marine Plan is available through and portals. These portals form part of the Marine Scotland Open Data Network which contributes towards Marine Scotland's INSPIRE and open data obligationsOffshore Marine Renewables
The Scottish Government is developing plans for offshore wind, wave and tidal energy in Scottish waters. The Marine Directorate will explore how offshore wind, wave and tidal energy can contribute to meeting Scotland's target of generating the equivalent of 100% of electricity demand from renewable sources and also seek to maximise the contribution of these technologies to achieving a low-carbon economy.Marine Conservation
The Marine Directorate follows a strategy for Marine Nature Conservation in Scotland's Seas based on the three pillars of species conservation, site protection, and wider seas policies and measures. Work continues on a Marine Protected Area network with 30 nature conservation MPAs designated in 2014.Licensing Operations Team (LOT)
The Marine Directorate Licensing Operations team is a central point-of-contact for activities such as depositing or removing objects or substances from the seabed; construction or alteration works, dredging; depositing or using explosives.Aquaculture and Recreational Fisheries (ARF)
The ARF division handles policy areas covering Aquaculture, Salmon & Recreational Fisheries, Fishery Grants, Post-EU Referendum and the Crown Estate in Scotland.Sea Fisheries
The Sea Fisheries division handles policy areas covering Access to Sea Fisheries, EU Quota Negotiations and Discards, Inshore Fisheries and Coastal Communities, and International Fisheries and Environmental Interactions.