The Clyde 2020 initiative aims to bring together both scientific research and practical measures to improve the marine ecosystem of the Clyde. Clyde 2020 fits with FISH/MAR objectives identified in the Action Plan from the Firth of Clyde Marine Spatial Plan (2010) and will be continued as a sub-group of the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership.

Background to Clyde 2020

The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment addressed the Clyde 2020 summit in April 2014. The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders to define a vision and objectives for the project. The papers from the summit are available below.

Clyde 2020 Summit (April 2014) documents:

• Report of the Clyde 2020 Summit – April 2014
• Annex A – Vision workshops
• Annex B – Research Workshops Flip Chart Notes
• Annex C – Practical measures workshop
• Annex D – Status of which fish in the Firth of Clyde
• Annex E – The planning context (Presentation)
• Clyde Ecosystem Review

Clyde 2020 Vision

The Firth of Clyde is a healthy and thriving marine ecosystem that is capable of adapting and mitigating for the challenges of climate change and supports sustainable fishing, tourism, leisure and other sustainable developments while offering protection to the most fragile species and habitats. This will enhance the quality of life for local communities and contribute to a diverse and sustainable economy for the West of Scotland.

Following the summit, the Clyde 2020 Steering Group was established and quickly identified the need for detailed scientific advice on some of the issues raised during the summit. A list of CMPP and Clyde 2020 memberships is available below. The Terms of Reference and advert for the Research Advisory Group (RAG) are listed below.

• Clyde 2020 Steering Group – Revised Terms of Reference – March 2017
• RAG – Terms of Reference
• Research Advisory Group advert
• CMPP and Clyde 2020 memberships

Members of the RAG were appointed in October 2015, and represent a range of fisheries and environmental experts. A list of RAG members can be viewed below. The RAG will advise the Clyde 2020 Steering Group on technical and scientific issues. RAG members are individuals and do not represent organisations. The CMPP would like to extend their thanks to the group for their time which is donated free of charge.

• Clyde 2020 Research Advisory Group Members

The Clyde 2020 project is a sub-group of the CMPP. It is hoped that Clyde 2020 outputs will help to shape the Clyde Marine Plan and have a significant impact on the development of relevant policies. The significant expertise of members of Clyde 2020 will be utilised in Plan development and the Steering Group represents an important opportunity for these members who represent important interests in the Clyde to be regularly consulted and to play a significant role during Plan development.

Clyde 2020 recommendations will go to the CMPP for final endorsement and action and decision making (if needed). Clyde 2020 meetings are reported to the CMPP via circulation of minutes and a project update. Clyde 2020 meeting minutes from October 2018 onward are listed below.

Clyde 2020 Meeting Minutes

• Joint Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meeting – 6th June 2022
• Joint Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meeting – 22nd October 2021
• Joint Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meeting – 8 December 2020
• Joint Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meeting – 26 February 2020
• Joint Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meeting – 29 October 2019
• Joint Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meeting – 23 April 2019
• Joint Steering Group and Research Advisory Group meeting – 25 October 2018

Other Clyde 2020 related documents 

• Clyde 2020 Action Plan – April 2015
• RAG – Advice to 2020 Steering Group- 9 June 2016
• Inventory of Clyde related legislation and designated sites
• Clyde related research surveys, published literature, other Clyde related information and ongoing Clyde related research

The Clyde 2020 Steering Group and Research Advisory Group worked to develop a summary of information from the Clyde Marine Region Assessment on seabed habitats, fish and shellfish species in the Region. The aim of this work was to create easily understandable summaries of the scientific information contained in the Assessment on this subject area.

A written guide summarising this information was developed (see  below), along with two animations. The first animation sets out the process of development of the assessment and the second animation provides a summary of the condition of seabed habitats and fish and shellfish species. Two workshops were held in Ardrossan and Tarbert during 2018 to involve wider stakeholders and to gather feedback and comments on the guide and animations, to ultimately improve their content. This work was finalized in early 2019 and is available to view below.

• The condition of seabed habitats, fish and shellfish of the CMR – Summary (accompanied by the animations below)

Click below to view the animations:

Animation 1 – Summary of Assessment Development

Animation 2 – A summary of the condition of seabed habitats, fish and shellfish of the CMR

The CMPP received funding from the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to support wide public engagement in the Clyde Marine Region from March 2019 to March 2021. This engagement will encourage public participation, in particular people that would not normally engage in marine planning, in plan development and implementation. Through this project, the wider public will be better informed about the marine environment in the Region, about issues and options for better management, and about how they can help to shape and deliver the Plan.

The project will develop novel techniques for engaging with the public. Outputs will include: a film to explain marine planning and to illustrate what lies beneath the waters of the Clyde; three animations on marine litter, climate change and mobile species; stand-alone information displays for use in public spaces; public dialogue events for in-depth discussion and feedback on issues in the Clyde Marine Region; and a guide for community groups about marine planning. These outputs will be shared below as they become available.

A second round of public dialogue sessions was undertaken in Glasgow, Ayr and Dunoon over November-December 2019. The public dialogue work targeted the two areas of the draft Plan that received the most criticism during the pre-consultation – sea fisheries and aquaculture. The aim of the public dialogue workshops was to gather feedback and views from the general public who is demographically representative of the diversity of the adult population of the Clyde Marine Region (age 16+) and who have not previously engaged with marine planning in the Clyde or elsewhere. The outcomes of the workshop discussions provided recommendations that have further contributed towards the development of the draft Clyde Regional Marine Plan. This work was delivered as part of the EMFF funded Clyde-wide public engagement project. The lead contractor undertaking this work was Resources for Change; C2W Consulting (Sarah Brown) and Evolved Research & Consulting Ltd (Anthony Gallagher) were sub-contractors. The final report can be downloaded below.

• The EMFF Clyde-wide Public Dialogue Report – Resources for Change – March 2020
• Introduction to Marine Planning in the Clyde Marine Region short film.
• Climate Change in the Clyde Marine Region animation
• Marine Litter in the Clyde Marine Region animation
• Mobile Species in the Clyde Marine Region animation
• CMPP Community Council Guide

Regional Marine Plans are required to align with terrestrial plans and reflect coastal areas likely to be suitable for development, taking into account the most recent flood risk and flood hazard maps, and coastal erosion mapping. They also need to reflect areas where managed realignment of the coast may be appropriate, setting out the potential benefits such as habitat creation and new recreation opportunities. Regional Marine Plans should also explain how they have taken into account future climate change in terms of climate change adaptation.

This report provides an evidence base of the known extent and associated risks of sea-level rise and storm surges due to climate change in the Clyde Marine Region for habitats, human communities and infrastructure. It provides additional information, alongside the work of SEPA, the Local Authorities and the Scottish Government, to inform development planning decisions at the coast in the Region. Funding was provided by Scottish Natural Heritage, Peel Ports Clydeport, Clydeplan, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority and the Firth of Clyde Forum.

Download the final project report here (47MB) – Impacts of sea-level rise and storm surges due to climate change in the Firth of Clyde. 

In addition, the mapped annex outputs (122MB) are also available to download here – Impacts of sea-level rise and storm surges due to climate change in the Firth of Clyde – Annex 7 – High res version – 122MB.

The report can also be accessed from the NatureScot website here.  

In 2014 The Firth of Clyde Forum undertook to project manage an important piece of work on behalf of the Scottish Government.  The work was designed to fill data gaps identified in the National Marine Plan and in the 2010 Clyde Plan (R&T 1/2) on marine recreation and tourism activity in Scotland and to provide baseline information for marine planning. The project, carried out by LUC, was designed and undertaken in partnership with the industry and funded by the Scottish Government, The Crown Estate and the Scottish Coastal Forum.

The Scottish Marine Recreation and Tourism Survey (SMRTS) was designed to gather information for 23 different recreation and tourism activities undertaken at sea or around the Scottish coastline. It was a web-based survey with interactive mapping tools which gathered spatial information on the activities people had undertaken during the previous twelve months and asked detailed questions about their one or two most important activities. A survey of businesses was also undertaken. The final report was published in April 2016 and includes separate appendices giving detailed analysis across the 23 activities.

Documents:

1. Literature review and recommendations
2. Final Report
3. Appendix 1 – General Marine and Coastal Recreation
4. Appendix 2 – General Marine and Coastal Tourism
5. Appendix 3 – Visits to historic sites and attractions
6. Appendix 4 – Walking at the coast
7. Appendix 5 – Long distance swimming in the sea
8. Appendix 6 – Bird and wildlife watching
9. Appendix 7 – Coastal climbing, bouldering and coasteering
10. Appendix 8 – Land yachting, power kiting, and kite buggying at the coast
11. Appendix 9 – SCUBA diving in the sea
12. Appendix 10 – Surfing, surf kayaking or paddleboarding in the sea
13. Appendix 11 – Windsurfing and kite surfing at the coast
14. Appendix 12 – Canoeing or kayaking in the sea
15. Appendix 13 – Rowing and sculling in the sea
16. Appendix 14 – Water skiing and wakeboarding in the sea
17. Appendix 15 – Dinghy racing at sea
18. Appendix 16 – Yacht racing at sea
19. Appendix 17 – Sailing cruising including dinghy cruising at sea
20. Appendix 18 – Motor cruising at sea
21. Appendix 19 – Power boating at sea
22. Appendix 20 – Personal watercraft (jet skis) at sea
23. Appendix 21 – Sea angling from the shore
24. Appendix 22 – Sea angling from a private or chartered boat
25. Appendix 23 – Other – wildfowling
26. Appendix 24 – Activity Survey Questionnaire
27. Appendix 25 – Business questionnaire
28. Appendix 26 – Stakeholders for survey launch & publicity
29. Appendix 27 – Scottish Marine Regions

The Firth of Clyde Marine Spatial Plan (2010) identified that there is limited guidance available to local authorities and developers about the impacts of new development on the coastal and seascape character of the Firth. Action Plan ENV10 proposed that a seascape/landscape analysis of the Firth of Clyde be carried out.

The report below provides a strategic assessment of the coastal landscape and seascape of the Firth of Clyde. The study area stretches from the Mull of Kintyre in Argyll to Finnarts Bay on the south Ayrshire coast. It includes the islands of Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes and stretches north into the Argyll sea lochs of Loch Fyne, Loch Long, Loch Goil and Gareloch as well as east to Clydebank.

This project provides an understanding of what is special about the landscape of the Firth of Clyde and the experience of this diverse seascape. It provides a landscape context for decision makers, and suggests opportunities for landscape change.

The project had the following strategic aims:

• to establish a baseline of the key characteristics/attributes of coastal character at the strategic (regional) and local level
• assess the sensitivity of the coastal character to different development and/or activities (both on and offshore)
• identification of coastal areas with isolated/remote qualities
• identification of coastal areas with visual sensitivities

The report is broken down into the following sections (available as separate pdfs):

• Section 1: Introduction
• Section 2: Firth of Clyde Overview

Assessments of Seascape Areas:

• Section 3: Inner Firth of Clyde
• Section 4: Gareloch
• Section 5: Loch Long
• Section 6: Loch Goil
• Section 7: Upper Firth of Clyde and the Cumbraes
• Section 8: Lower Firth of Clyde (East)
• Section 9: Outer Firth of Clyde
• Section 10: Lower Firth of Clyde (West)
• Section 11: Loch Fyne
• Section 12: Sound of Bute
• Section 13: Kyles of Bute
• Section 14: Loch Striven
• Section 15: Rothesay Sound
• Section 16: Appendix 1: Extract from the Project Brief
• Section 17: References and Glossary

GIS mapping information:

1. GIS Mapping Info – 1 Full Final Coastal Character Areas
2. GIS Mapping Info – 2 Coastal character influenced by derelict and semi-derelict land
3. GIS Mapping Info – 3 Coastal character influenced by designated landscape and policies
4. GIS Mapping Info – 4 Coastal character influenced by experience of isolated coast
5. GIS Mapping Info – 5 Coastal character influenced by remote coast
6. GIS Mapping Info – 6 Coastal character influenced by secluded coast

Awareness of land-based invasive species and the problems they can cause is on the up, most of us have heard of Japanese knotweed, Giant hogweed or Himalayan balsam. Due to the rise in marine-based activities such as shipping, aquaculture, recreation and tourism, unfortunately there is now a growing problem of marine non-native species.

Non-native species become ‘invasive’ when they thrive aggressively and threaten native species, ecosystems, and natural features (such as riverbanks) or interfere with manmade structures and business interests such as aquaculture or fisheries. To date this aggressive behaviour has not been seen in the Firth of Clyde, but in other parts of the UK native species have been smothered and aquaculture installations and water intakes clogged.

The Action Plan of the Firth of Clyde Marine Spatial Plan (2010) identified the need for a guiding framework for marine non-native species in (ENV5). The Firth of Clyde Forum published a Biosecurity Plan in 2011 with the focus on prevention and monitoring of INNS. During 2012 the Forum produced and distributed fact sheets and identification guides to raise awareness among users of the Clyde and ran a training programme to help develop a network of industry monitors who will keep an eye out for invasive species.

The Clyde Biosecurity Plan identifies 11 invasive non-native species (INNS) in or on their way to the Firth of Clyde. They can be transported through various ‘pathways’ including fouling of hulls or trapped water in boats and equipment, ballast water, relocated structures, floating debris or via natural dispersal. Eradicating marine INNS is very difficult and preventing introduction is a priority – in other words biosecurity planning. With the development of the Wildlife and Nature Environment (Scotland) Act the Forum felt there was a need for greater guidance about biosecurity planning and we commissioned SAMS to produce a literature review and a guidance document which has now been adopted as best practice by all UK administrations.

The UK and Scottish governments have responsibilities under the European Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive to ensure Good Environmental Status of our marine waters including a target that non-native species are not having any adverse impacts on the native ecosystem.

If you are going to be out on the water follow the Check, Clean, Dry guidelines. Download a copy of the Firth of Clyde Biosecurity Plan below or visit the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat at http://www.nonnativespecies.org/.

The CMPP is represented on the Marine Pathways Project. For more information please see this website.

Documents:

• Guidance on Marine Biosecurity Planning
• SNH Commissioned Report No. 748 – Marine Biosecurity Planning Identification of best practise: A review
• Firth of Clyde Biosecurity Plan 2012-2016
• INNS Identification guide – dangle book
• SAMS INNS presentation 2012

Firth of Clyde Forum Invasive species meeting 2011

• Presentation – Marine invasive in the Clyde – Fiona Manson
• Presentation – The WANE Act – Robin Payne
• Presentation – The Firth of Clyde biosecurity Plan – Fiona Mills
• Workshop Output

The Firth of Clyde Marine Spatial Plan (2010) identified the need to better understand access to the Clyde (R&T2) and in 2013, with great support from volunteers, they undertook an audit of all access points in the Clyde. The mapped points will be available on NMPi and have informed the development of several projects including North Ayrshire Council’s marine tourism and recreation programme and website.

Marine litter is not only unsightly, it also has a knock-on effect on the local economy, human health and wildlife: visitors can be discouraged from revisiting or recommending an area; the fishing and shipping industries can be hampered by propeller fouling, the blocking of intake pipes, damage to equipment and contaminated catch; broken glass, sewage related debris, rusting metal and discarded medical waste pose a health risk to beach visitors; many types of litter can harm and/or kill wildlife through entanglement or ingestion.

Following the Firth of Clyde Marine Spatial Plan (2010) Action Plan (ENV11) The Firth of Clyde Forum published a report as the first step in developing a marine litter strategy for the Firth of Clyde – Step 1: Defining the status quo. This provides a background to litter cleaning activities currently taking place in the Firth of Clyde and uses data from the Marine Conservation Society to show the types and volume of litter found. In 2012 the Forum also worked with Local Authorities, the Marine Conservation Society, Keep Scotland Beautiful and GRAB to develop Coastal Litter Management Guidelines for Duty Bodies.

The Firth of Clyde Forum recommends that people wishing to undertake a beach clean sign up for the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch scheme.  The MCS provide guidelines on beach cleaning including health and safety precautions and any event organised according to MCS guidelines is covered by MCS public liability insurance (3rd party insurance). By filling out the Beachwatch Survey Summary you will be contributing to a long running database of volumes and sources of litter. Gathering knowledge on this can contribute to the development of marine litter strategies which target litter at source.

Importance of Strandlines

Strandlines are created by the accumulation of organic matter around the high water mark and often consist of seaweed, carrion and other organic material. Whilst some may feel they spoil a beach, they are in fact are an extremely important part of a healthy beach ecosystem, providing food for a wide variety of creatures and stability for the sand, and linking marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The functions of the strandline are as follows:

• They provide habitat and food for small crustaceans such as sand-hoppers which recycle nutrients from dead and decaying material back into the beach ecosystem
• Small crustaceans and flies from the strandline act as a direct food source for beetles, spiders, fish and birds, both seabirds and terrestrial species;
• They can be the first stage in the formation of coastal sand dunes which are important for coastal protection against erosion and flooding.

Unfortunately strandlines are often cluttered with marine litter, also brought in with the wind and tide. For the reasons indicated above, whenever beach cleaning has to occur, it is therefore recommended that hand-picking of rubbish is carried out so as to preserve the important role undertaken by the strandline in the beach ecosystem.

The websites listed below provide information about marine litter and beach/shoreline cleaning.

• GRAB Trust (Argyll & Bute)
• Marine Conservation Society
• Keep Scotland Beautiful
• Fishing for Litter
• Marine Scotland
• The Great Nurdle Hunt

Documents:

• Marine litter strategy for the Firth of Clyde Step 1: Defining the status quo
• Coastal Litter Management Guidelines for Duty Bodies

Clyde Marine Litter Symposium, November 2016

Field Studies Council Millport, in partnership with the CMPP organised a Clyde Marine Litter Symposium in November 2016. The aim of the day was to share practical ways people can work together to tackle marine litter and improve the Clyde marine environment. Several presentations were given on the day from a range of stakeholders involved in marine litter. These can be viewed from this page, along with the symposium’s programme. In the afternoon, the CMPP facilitated a workshop session to gather information on initiatives taking place in the Clyde Marine Region contributing to the Marine Litter Strategy and to consider the pros and cons of examples of regional marine litter policy to consider what should be taken forward in any future marine litter policy developed for the region. The notes from the workshop sessions can be viewed below.

Clyde Marine Litter Symposium – workshop notes – November 2016