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Leading marine physicist Professor Mark Inall has been appointed as Chief Scientific Adviser to Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate.

With a distinguished career in physical oceanography spanning more than three decades, Mark’s links to the wider scientific community will ensure that Marine Directorate policy  continues to be underpinned by the best scientific evidence available.

Drawing on his extensive academic experience and networks, he will further embed scientific evidence at the centre of decision-making and provide oversight and assurance which delivers maximum impact for Scotland’s seas.

Mark will continue part time in his role as Marine Physicist at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban, maintaining valuable industry links.  He will carry out the Chief Scientific Advisor Marine role for three years,

The role of the Chief Scientific Adviser Marine is to provide independent challenge to our science advice and evidence, which informs our work across marine and freshwater policy areas.  The Chief Scientific Adviser Marine will also work with the Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland and the Scottish Science Advisory Council to help ensure that Scottish Government has access to the best scientific advice to inform its work across all policy areas.

The Chief Scientific Adviser Marine will also be an advocate, across Scotland and further afield, of our world-leading marine and freshwater science and its potential to benefit our economy, people and environment.

The Marine Directorate has a key role to play in tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Mark’s input will be significant in mitigating their impact on the marine environment and improving marine ecosystem resilience.

We are delighted to welcome him and know his experience and expertise will provide a strong scientific lens through which to deliver the Blue Economy Vision for Scotland.

Mark said:  “Scotland has such a rich marine heritage, and a bright but complex marine future. The Scottish Government acknowledges the vital role scientific evidence plays in guiding our current and future uses of the diverse waters that surround us and the role of Chief Scientific Adviser Marine will contribute an important role in delivering that for Scottish Government.

“It is a great privilege to take up the role of Chief Scientific Adviser Marine. I look forward to the challenge and will put all my energy into it!”

About Mark

Mark Inall gained his BSc in Physics from the University of Edinburgh, followed by both MSc and PhD in Physical Oceanography from the University of Southampton. He has undertaken research at the Universities of Cambridge, Bangor and Victoria (BC).

Since 1998 he has led a marine physics research group at SAMS, with more recent responsibility for directing the Institute’s research portfolio. He co-developed Scotland’s first Marine Science BSc for the University of the Highlands and Islands. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and is Honorary Professor in the College of Science & Engineering at the University of Edinburgh.

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The UK has, this week, signed agreements with Norway and Faroe setting out arrangements on mackerel for 2024 onwards. These agreements build on our already strong relationships with Norway and the Faroe Islands, two of our closest Coastal State partners, and are a complimentary layer to the bilateral arrangements we already have.

The structure of the package is fourfold:

1. Norway and the Faroe Islands have agreed to reduce the shares they set themselves for mackerel, an immediate reduction in fishing pressure by 10 percentage points of the global total allowable catch (TAC). This represents a significant step towards our long-held goals of ensuring a sustainable fishery, while wider sharing discussions continue

2. in addition to these reductions, both Parties will transfer a proportion of their remaining allocation to the UK. These exchanges will deliver additional opportunities to the UK worth approximately £41 million in 2024

3. in return for the quota transfers, Norwegian and Faroese vessels will be granted access to fish a proportion of their opportunities in UK waters

4. within the Agreed Records, the Parties reaffirm their commitment to the long-term sustainable management of the mackerel stock. This includes a commitment to continue to engage in discussions between Coastal States to agree a comprehensive sharing arrangement for the stock, and to hold timely consultations should one or more Coastal States indicate an interest in joining these interim arrangements

If no comprehensive sharing arrangement for the stock is agreed, these arrangements will remain in place until at least 2026. Additionally, the UK share will increase in 2025 through the implementation of the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Wider sharing consultations will continue in the autumn, and Scotland will continue to put our full energy behind these talks, seeking agreements which are based on robust evidence, and are as comprehensive as possible, ensuring the sustainability of this stock and fisheries in the long term.

The Agreed Records have been published on the Scottish Government website.

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