Scottish Government's Marine Directorate

What Scottish Government's Marine Directorate does

The Scottish Government's Marine Directorate is a public sector directorate within the devolved Scottish Government, headquartered at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh and operating under the Net Zero portfolio overseen by Director-General Andy Kerr. Formerly known as Marine Scotland, it holds statutory responsibility for marine conservation, fisheries management, aquaculture, and marine science across Scottish territorial waters and the Scottish Exclusive Economic Zone. The directorate implements the Conservation of Salmon (Scotland) Regulations 2016 and holds devolved authority to recommend Total Allowable Catch (TAC) levels for stocks under Scottish jurisdiction, including the Clyde herring stock — a responsibility exercised via formal public consultation with the UK Secretary of State.

Its two principal operational outputs are the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland (NEPS), a statistically designed juvenile salmon monitoring programme operational since 2018 that produces annual stock status assessments across catchments and regions, and the Clyde Herring TAC Consultation, a recurring regulatory consultation service. The directorate does not operate a commercial revenue model; it is funded through Scottish Government public expenditure, with no pricing, subscriptions, or fee-based services. Its customer base comprises commercial fisheries, aquaculture operators, conservation organisations, local fisheries managers participating in NEPS data collection, and the Scottish public. Core partnerships include Crown Estate Scotland, SEPA, Scottish Natural Heritage (now NatureScot), Marine Scotland Science, the Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre, and UK Fisheries Administrations.

Name

Scottish Government's Marine Directorate

Legal name

The Scottish Government - Marine Directorate

Website

https://gov.scot

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Scottish Government's Marine Directorate is the devolved public sector body responsible for marine conservation, fisheries management, aquaculture, and marine science across Scottish waters, operating programmes such as NEPS and Clyde herring TAC consultations under statutory authority.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Marine and Fisheries Management

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Fishing (1141)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries Assessments (EUAHAHAB)

Keywords

• Marine fisheries management
• Salmon stock assessment
• Fisheries regulatory oversight
• Marine conservation policy
• Fishing quota administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Marine Directorate is the devolved Scottish Government body responsible for marine and fisheries management in Scottish waters. It conducts scientific monitoring of fish stocks (notably Atlantic salmon via the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland) and sets Total Allowable Catch recommendations for key stocks such as the Firth of Clyde herring. The directorate implements marine conservation regulations and consults with industry stakeholders and the public on fisheries policy decisions.

Product overview

The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government operates as a regulatory and research body responsible for marine and fisheries management in Scotland. Its primary offerings include the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland (NEPS), which provides scientific data for assessing salmon stock conservation status, and regulatory consultation services for setting fishing quotas such as the Clyde Herring Total Allowable Catch. The directorate also manages public consultations on marine regulations and coordinates with UK Fisheries Administrations on stock management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland (NEPS) A national research and monitoring programme that provides data for annual assessment of Atlantic salmon stock status using electrofishing surveys. The programme captures and counts juvenile fish in rivers using standard operating procedures combined with statistical analysis to estimate fish populations at site, catchment and regional scales. It serves scientists, regulators, and conservation stakeholders responsible for salmon conservation in Scotland.
• Clyde Herring Total Allowable Catch Consultation A regulatory consultation service for recommending the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for herring in the Firth of Clyde, conducted on behalf of UK Fisheries Administrations. The Marine Directorate seeks stakeholder views on TAC levels based on scientific advice and recommends a final TAC to the UK Secretary of State. It serves commercial fishing operators, aquaculture businesses, conservation organisations, and the UK government.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Crown Estate ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for funding the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland (NEPS) in 2019. Crown Estate Scotland provides funding support for the annual national electrofishing survey data collection alongside Marine Scotland.
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-funder of the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland in 2018 alongside Marine Scotland. SEPA partners on water quality sampling components of the marine science programme.
• Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Co-funder of the National Electrofishing Programme for Scotland in 2018. SNH collaborates on conservation status assessments and marine protection initiatives.
• Marine Scotland SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternal scientific arm that designs, manages, and analyses the National Electrofishing Programme. Conducts electrofishing data analysis and interpretation for salmon stock assessment across Scotland.
• Local fisheries managerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of local fisheries managers responsible for on-the-ground electrofishing data collection across Scottish rivers according to protocols developed by Marine Scotland Science.
• UK Fisheries AdministrationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Marine Directorate conducts consultations on behalf of UK Fisheries Administrations for setting Total Allowable Catch levels. The Clyde herring stock TAC recommendation is made to the UK Secretary of State for final decision.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Marine Institute Ireland: Ireland's national agency for marine research, technology, and innovation, conducting fisheries assessments and marine science programmes. Closely comparable in marine science and fisheries management mission, with similar statutory authority over national waters.
• Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM): Sweden's national agency for marine and water management, responsible for fisheries, marine environmental protection, and aquatic resource planning. Directly comparable as a government body integrating fisheries management with environmental protection.
• Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries (Fiskeridirektoratet): Norway's national fisheries management authority overseeing commercial fisheries, aquaculture, and marine resources. Comparable in scale and comprehensive fisheries management remit, including TAC-setting and stock assessment functions.
• Marine Management Organisation (MMO): The UK's lead marine regulator managing English waters, fishing vessel licensing, and marine planning. Directly comparable as a fellow UK fisheries and marine management authority with similar statutory responsibilities, though operating in English rather than Scottish waters.

Regional players

• Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) - Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland's marine and fisheries authority managing devolved aquatic resources and aquaculture. Comparable in scope (fisheries, aquaculture, marine environment) and operates under similar devolved governance arrangements, but for a separate jurisdiction.
• Welsh Government - Marine and Fisheries Division: Wales' marine and fisheries policy lead, managing Welsh waters fisheries and marine conservation. Highly comparable in devolved government structure and fisheries management remit, operating in a different UK nation.

Peers

• European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scotgov
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/scottishgovernment
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheScottishGovernment/timeline
• Instagraminstagram.com/scotgov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-directorate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scottish Government's Marine Directorate