SIFT’s work on climate change focuses on protecting blue carbon stores and reducing the emissions from Scotland’s fishing fleet. In addition SIFT promotes fisheries management which is able to adapt to the impacts of climate change. This is essential for the resilience and long-term productivity of Scotland’s fisheries.
Blue Carbon
Blue carbon is carbon which is sequestered by, and stored in, the marine environment. It includes carbon held as biomass in seagrass or kelp habitats, and carbon held when organic matter is naturally buried in marine sediment.
The burial and storage of carbon in coastal sediments is an important part of the global carbon cycle, and by locking away carbon which could otherwise be released into the atmosphere through a process of remineralisation in the water column, blue carbon stores provide an essential climate-regulating service.
Scotland’s important sites
Fjordic sediments, like those found in Scotland’s sea lochs, have been identified as potentially the most effective store of carbon globally – storing more carbon per unit area than peatland (Figure 1).
Over half of the organic carbon stored in sea lochs is from terrestrial sources, transported there by rivers. As a result, sea lochs, and especially the heads of the lochs where rivers tend to enter, are particularly important locations for carbon sequestration. Due to their location, geomorphology and catchment, some sea lochs are more important stores than others. An assessment of sedimentary carbon stocks in Scotland’s fjords identified fourteen key sea lochs (Figure 2) which disproportionately contribute to Scotland’s fjordic sedimentary Carbon stock.
Disturbance
In 2025, the Scottish Government published its Blue Carbon Action Plan. While the plan referred to sedimentary carbon stores, it fell far short of proposing measures to protect them, instead only prescribing further research. SIFT believes that action is needed now to protect these crucial carbon stores from disturbance. We have been actively working on this issue, including working closely to get the first parliamentary motion on the subject in 2024.
Bottom trawling in Scotland’s inshore disturbs the seabed, leaving Scotland’s blue carbon stores at risk. While more research is needed to better understand the fate of previously stored carbon following disturbance, the potential significance of these stores means that the precautionary approach must be adopted and management measures implemented to protect the most vulnerable stores.
Blue Carbon Research
SIFT is pleased to be supporting research into the vulnerability of carbon sequestered in sea loch sediments to disturbance by seabed-contacting mobile fishing gears. Working closely with the Blue Carbon Academy at St Andrews University and one of SIFT’s long term funders, we have enabled two research projects to study the subject, the second is due for completion in 2026. The research has involved sampling seabed sediments in the Firth of Clyde and subjecting them to laboratory analysis to establish how carbon and other elemental levels are altered in both the sediments and water column when they are disturbed.
We believe that the findings of this research could have substantial policy significance as we advocate for the Scottish Government to take meaningful steps to minimise harm to the nation’s carbon stores. We look forward to continuing to support this area of research and using it as the basis for our advocacy work.
(Photo credit: James Johnson)
Reducing Fishery Emissions
Through its participation in the Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management and Conservation Climate Change subgroup, SIFT takes a leading role in making the case for action to reduce fishing vessel emissions and enable Scotland’s fishing industry to meet Scottish national net zero targets in 2045.
Specifically, SIFT advocates that decarbonisation can be achieved through:
- Fishing gear modifications – which reduce carbon emissions e.g. lighter gears, gears less prone to drag, gears which function at lower towing speed.
- Hull modifications – which reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency.
- Engine replacements – installation of new fossil fuel engines with higher fuel efficiency.
- Fuel additives – using additives which improve fossil fuel efficiency.
- Novel power sources – transition to alternative fuel sources, in particular to electric engines. This is currently implemented elsewhere globally, and by some of Scotland’s ferry vessels. This may be most suitable for inshore vessels
Broader opportunities to bring about improvements include:
- The implementation of marine management measures to ensure the recovery of commercial fish stocks so that less distance has to be covered by fishers to reach fishing grounds or to enable vessels to catch their quota of fish.
- The introduction of mandatory energy efficiency standards for fishing vessel hulls and fishing gears;
Financial support for the transition to low or zero emission motive power for vessel engines and equipment (including refrigeration), and the removal of subsidies for fossil fuels; - Financial support for onshore facilities, including harbour electrical supplies which would facilitate the transition to low impact vessels.
