AN ALLIANCE of more than 100 organisations has told the SNP and Scottish Greens to act urgently to protect Scotland’s seabeds.

As talks continue between the Scottish government and the Greens over a formal co-operation agreement, the Our Seas coalition pressed both parties to focus on the issue.

The alliance said that trawlers must be banned from fishing within three miles of Scotland’s coasts, and that imposing such a limit – which it described as “not a radical measure” – would benefit both the environment and coastal communities.

Maritime archaeologist Annabel Lawrence of the Community Association of Lochs and Sounds said: “Being forced to live with the status quo, watching a small number of boats damage the seabed, is painful and frustrating.

“We need change, and that means protecting our most sensitive seas from the most damaging practices.”

The Scottish government said that talks with the Greens had been positive and that sustainability is at the heart of how it manages Scotland’s fisheries.