A £2 million funding programme by energy company Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), described as the biggest-ever single financial contribution to marine enhancement in Scotland, is now in place to protect and restore seagrass meadows around its coastline.
SSEN is working in partnership with the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF), which says it has secured and awarded more than £3.3m to marine enhancement since its formation in mid-2022.
The project is described by Scotland’s wellbeing, economy, net zero and energy cabinet secretary Mairi McAllan as “a great example of the potential for unlocking responsible private finance to support nature restoration and could be transformative for our precious seagrass”.
Seagrasses have been declining globally since the 1930s, with 7% of meadows still estimated to be lost annually. The initiative aims to plant at least 14 hectares of new seagrass in Scottish waters.
Tangible benefits
“In our business plan for 2023-28, we committed to funding the restoration of seagrass meadows around our licence areas and so this innovative ‘first-of-its-kind’ programme is something we’re excited to be supporting,” says SSEN Distribution’s strategic planning & sustainability head Shirley Robertson.
“The restoration of seagrass meadows will bring tangible benefits to nearby communities both above and below the water level – not only is the carbon-sequestration rate of seagrass estimated to be three times higher than land-based planting, the revitalised meadows will help to improve the spawning conditions for fish shoals and other marine life.
“Furthermore, the learning from this programme will improve understanding of nature investments and hopefully inform policy which, in turn, will enable others to join us as we all tackle the biodiversity crisis.”
SMEEF is hosted by NatureScot, and managed jointly with the Scottish Government Marine Directorate and Crown Estate Scotland.
It is now open to applications for grants for seagrass and other projects driven by local communities, and says it is working with a range of experts to ensure that all grants are used to best effect and their impact properly monitored.
Also read: £66,000 raised to protect Studland Bay’s seagrass meadows, Massive seagrass bed discovered in St Austell Bay, Ocean Conservation Trust and Ørsted boost seagrass protection, Seagrass project success in Plymouth Sound, Seagrass restoration trials begin in Cornwall
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