When councillors from the City of Edinburgh next vote on infrastructure or city planning projects, they will do so with ocean health and recovery at the forefront of the decision-making process. It’s just part of the action the local council has voted for to promote a clean and healthy ocean environment for the coming generations.
Becoming the first in Scotland to voice its Ocean Recovery Declaration, the City of Edinburgh Council has voted to take action for cleaner and healthier seas and adopt a “practical pathway to support ocean recovery” whether that’s incorporating ‘ocean health’ into local planning or developing robust ocean literacy programmes for local school children.
The declaration is part of Motion for the Ocean, a UK-wide initiative to promote ocean health on a local, council-to-council basis across England, Scotland, and Wales. The Motion was brought to Edinburgh city councillors by local resident, Natasha Stewart and brought forward by Councillor Conor Savage.
“I am delighted City of Edinburgh Council has passed my Motion for the Ocean,” said Savage. “I’d like to thank all those who assisted with its development, came out to advocate for it, as well as my fellow Councillors who supported it.
“Embedding ocean recovery into the Council’s decision-making processes will ensure we are playing our part in making sure that Edinburgh’s marine ecosystems are healthy and resilient, providing all the functions on which we depend.”
Once bound by land, Edinburgh has over the centuries grown to join ports and harbours such as Portobello, Leith, Newhaven, Granton, and Cramond to put the marine ecosystem at the centre of the city’s economy. The UK-wide Motion for the Ocean initiative aims to provide a nation-wide framework for helping local councils and their residents reconnect with the ocean.
“Every child, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to visit the ocean as it can light a spark of lifelong inspiration,” said Savage. “How fantastic would it be, for Edinburgh to now proudly produce the next David Attenborough, stemming from the foundations we’ve now laid. Hopefully, this lays the groundwork for others to follow, adding to our city’s already rich coastal and marine heritage.”