The worst affected areas for Dothistroma needle blight on the national forest estate are North Highland Forest District and Moray & Aberdeenshire Forest District.

This year’s annual assessment for the presence of Dothistroma needle blight on the national forest estate is still in progress. The 2011 survey detected 11,500 hectares of pine woodland with Dothistroma infection (Lodgepole pine: 7,500 hectares; Scots pine: 3,300 hectares; and Corsican pine: 250 hectares).

In 2006, the survey detected Dothistroma infection in 132 hectares of Corsican pine woodland. This figure is not directly comparable with future year’s data as the extent and structure of each year’s survey has evolved with our understanding of the disease and its host range.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The £18 million Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund will support the development and deployment of the first commercial scale wave and tidal array projects in Scottish waters.

Issues with (a) potential and (b) mitigation of impacts of marine renewables devices on biodiversity are well understood by Marine Scotland, who ensure that the development of wave, tidal and offshore wind energy sectors is achieved in a sustainable manner in the seas around Scotland. In addressing the various issues and challenges of developing offshore renewables in relation to impacts on biodiversity, Marine Scotland has initiated a number of projects and commissioned research to provide solutions and support to partner organisations and industry on potential interactions with natura species; including seabirds, marine mammals and migratory fish. This will include; addressing flight characteristics and habitats, collision risk modelling, baseline data, population modelling and effects of displacement.

A number of work streams are being progressed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Scottish Natural Heritage to identify locations at sea of importance to species covered by the requirement to classify Special Protection Areas under the EU Wild Birds Directive.

The Scottish Government expects to receive recommendations for wintering waterfowl, red throated divers, terns, and shags during 2013, with the aim of completing classification of these proposals by end of 2015.

For other seabirds and migratory species areas of search are being identified using the European Seabirds at Sea database. The JNCC will undertake further research to corroborate these findings with supporting evidence from other sources. The identification of Special Protection Area proposals from this work stream should be completed by 2015 with classification as soon as possible thereafter.

The A90 cycle path from Edinburgh to the start of the Forth Road Bridge is classified as a local road and not a trunk road and, as such, Transport Scotland provides no direct funding for this route. All local roads in Scotland are the responsibility of the local authority, in this case, the City of Edinburgh Council.

Last year the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland worked in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC), awarding it a total of £121,000 for upgrading and design works on the A90 cycle path. This financial year, CEC will receive £565,000 funding for cycling, walking and safer streets projects directly from Transport Scotland. Local authorities are encouraged to work with Sustrans whose grant award of £7,160,000 this year can be used to match local authority funding for large cycling projects, such as the A90 cycle path.

The Bridge Operating Company Contract for the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC) and the Forth Road Bridge (FRB) will include the connecting roads from M90 Junction 3 Halbeath in the north through to Junction 1A on the M9 at Kirkliston in the south. Transport Scotland will continue to be responsible for the management of these roads although the day-to-day maintenance will be carried out by the appointed bridge operating company.

The FRC scheme has been carefully designed to incorporate new sections of footpaths, cycleways and safe crossing points to maintain and enhance existing routes.

Any Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposal brought forward will complement the species protection already afforded to Basking Shark through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended.

The basking shark is listed as a MPA search feature.

One search location has been identified and is currently being assessed to identify if there are any habitats critical for the species.

As part of this, further research is being undertaken;

(a) through tagging basking sharks within the MPA search location this summer to understand more about their fine-scale distribution and use of the area and

(b) to gain a greater understanding of the habitats that support basking shark in this location through data modelling.

Examples of wider seas measures are marine planning, environmental impact assessment, and strategic environmental assessment. In addition to these, wider seas measures contained within sectoral policies and plans can play their part in improving the status of marine habitats and species.

Reformation of the Common Fisheries Policy and implementation of Inshore Fisheries Group management plans should provide environmental benefit. Measures under development to deliver good environmental status by 2020 under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive should also provide benefit to marine species and habitats. The Scottish Government is also developing a marine litter strategy.

Scotland’s marine Atlas identified a number of pressures on marine habitats and species, including changes in the physical and chemical qualities of the water, disturbance of the seabed, underwater noise, recreational disturbance, and coastal development. A number of initiatives are underway which will help to address these issues.

The National Marine Plan will include objectives and policies to contribute to managing and minimising the impact of pressures identified in the Atlas, including steering damaging uses away from sensitive areas. It will also include ecosystem objectives and policies to support general ecosystem health and functioning and to further conservation measures. Environmental protection will be incorporated into decision making.

Targets and indicators are currently under development to achieve Good Environmental Status by 2020 under the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, and a programme of measures to achieve these targets must be in place by 2016. Marine planning provides one of several mechanisms to implement the measures once in place.

The Marine Nature Conservation Strategy for Scotland outlines objectives and measures to meet strategic aims for conservation. It focuses on a three pillar approach - species measures, site protection measures, and other initiatives that make a contribution to nature conservation, and which can be incorporated in decision making. Marine planning is one example.