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The Scottish government has been accused of failing to keep its promises to protect the marine environment.

It says the government is not doing enough to tackle overfishing, climate change and pollution, and that Scotland's marine protected areas are not being properly maintained.

Photograph of a polluted beach in Scotland.

"The Scottish Government has made a number of promises to protect our seas, but it has consistently broken those promises," said Sarah Archibald, ocean campaigner at Greenpeace Scotland.

“Our seas face low-level threats, including overfishing, climate change and pollution. The Scottish Government must take urgent action to address these threats and protect our marine environment for future generations."

One of the key criticisms of the Scottish Government is that it has not done enough to reduce fishing quotas. It is argued that the quotas are still set too high and that this is happening before many fish stocks are overfished.

The Scottish Government has also been criticized for slow progress in establishing marine protected areas. In 2017, the government pledged to create a network of marine protected areas covering 10% of Scotland's waters by 2020. However, only 3% of Scottish waters are currently protected.

"The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets for marine protection," said Archibald. "It needs to do more to create a network of marine protected areas that will effectively protect our seas."

Climate change is another major threat to Scotland's marine environment. Rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification are having devastating effects on marine ecosystems.

The Scottish Government has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2045. Campaigners say this is not enough to protect Scotland's seas from the effects of climate change.

"The Scottish Government needs to take ambitious enough action on climate change," Archibald said. "It needs to get to net zero and invest in renewable energy and other green technologies."

Another serious threat to Scotland's marine environment is pollution. Sewage, agricultural products and industrial chemicals pollute our seas.

The Scottish Government has pledged to reduce pollution from these sources. Protesters say the government is not doing enough to enforce pollution laws.

"The Scottish Government needs to get tougher on polluters," Archibald said. "We need to increase fines for developers and invest in better monitoring and enforcement."

The Scottish Government has defended its record on marine conservation. The Government says it is committed to protecting Scotland's seas and is taking action to tackle the threats facing the marine environment.

Protesters say the government should do more. They say the government needs to take more ambitious action on overfishing, climate change and pollution, and that it needs to properly ensure the conservation of marine protected areas.

"The Scottish Government must recognize the threats facing our seas and take urgent action to protect them," Archibald said. "The further development of our marine environment depends on this."

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