Marine Wildlife Watching Code

The Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code, which provides guidance on how best to watch marine wildlife, was launched in November 2006.  Scotland is arguably the best place in Europe to watch marine wildlife and this is fast becoming a popular recreational activity and a boost to rural economies. All this attention however, can have a negative impact on the very animals that people have come to see, causing disturbance to the animals and disruption to their breeding and feeding activities.

In response, the Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code (SMWWC) has been developed by Scottish Natural Heritage following widespread consultation. The Code itself is not a law or a regulation, it is a voluntary code aimed at raising awareness and offering practical guidance to anyone watching marine wildlife.

Two documents have been produced: the Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code and A Guide to Best Practice for Watching Marine Wildlife.  The first of these contains advice for each marine user group and a summary of marine wildlife legislation.  The second document provides more detailed information on relevant species groups (cetaceans, basking sharks, otters, seals, turtles and birds) and further information on dealing with cumulative impacts and how to report your wildlife sightings.

Other codes of practice already exist for watching wildlife in many parts of Scotland.  The SMWWC builds on these to create more comprehensive guidance and is intended to provide a basis for the development of new or improved codes and guidance materials targeted at particular user groups with an interest in watching marine wildlife. 

For more information, or to get hold of your copy of the Code, visit www.marinecode.org or contact Fiona Manson at Scottish Natural Heritage at fiona.manson@snh.gov.uk or 01738 458641.