Contacts Directory

Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD)
Following reorganisation, SEERAD ceased to exist in 2007. Many of the functions of SEERAD were subsumed into the Environment Directorates of the Scottish Government.
Responsibilities
The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) was responsible for advising Ministers on policy relating to agriculture, rural development, food, the environment and fisheries, and for ensuring the implementation of those policies in Scotland. The Department also supported and promoted the agricultural and biological science base in Scotland.
The Departments main aims were:-
- to help improve the economic performance of Scotlands agriculture, aquaculture, fishing and food industries within the wider context of sustainable exploitation of our land, sea and freshwater resources and rural development, while safeguarding the interests of consumers, protecting and enhancing the environment, and ensuring a fair deal for taxpayers; and
- to support Ministers in helping the people of Scotland secure a high quality of life through sensitive stewardship and sustainable development of the natural resources of Scotland; in particular by securing a clean, healthy and safe environment, ensuring a safe and effective water industry, and improving peoples enjoyment of the environment.
SEERAD aimed to promote rural development and ensure that the needs and interests of rural Scotland were reflected in all of the Executives policies and priorities. The Department was responsible for ensuring that rural circumstances and the views of rural communities were taken into account in policy development across the Executive and externally.
SEERAD had the responsibility within the Scottish Executive for the promotion of sustainable development and embedding it across the range of the Executives policies.
SEERAD aimed to improve the agricultural, food and fisheries industries economic performance by effective implementation of the EC Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy obligations, and by promotion of further reform of policies at UK and EU level.
The Department was responsible for assisting the development and structural adjustment of the agriculture, aquaculture and fishing industries; regulating the sustainable exploitation of fish stocks and promoting fisheries conservation measures; and taking action against plant diseases and pests, and animal and fish diseases within the overarching controls of EU Single Market requirements. SEERAD also encourages high animal welfare standards on farms and in transport.
SEERAD aimed to protect and enhance the environment by promoting environmentally sensitive farming, farm woodlands and fishing, by securing the conservation and enhancement of Scotlands unique natural heritage and by improving scientific understanding of Scotlands terrestrial and aquatic environment.
They encouraged action to reduce pollution and other measures to safeguard the environment. Specifically, they developed and oversaw the implementation of policy on integrated pollution prevention and control, the water environment, waste management, air quality, radioactive waste, noise, climate change and ozone depleting substances and sponsor the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (the regulatory and enforcement authority for environmental protection and pollution control in Scotland, covering discharges to air, land and water).
SEERAD promoted nature conservation and the publics enjoyment of the natural heritage through ensuring compliance with EU and international nature conservation requirements and the positive management of designated areas. They introduced National Parks in Scotland, and prepared legislation to establish a right of responsible access to the countryside. In support of these aims they sponsored and worked through Scottish Natural Heritage, the Executives statutory adviser on natural heritage and nature conservation matters.
Contact details:
Head Office
Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department
Pentland House
47 Robbs Loan
Edinburgh
EH14 1TY
Tel: 0131 556 8400
Fax: 0131 244 6116
Email: ceu@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Internet: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/agri/
Argyll and Western Isles
Cameron House
Albany Street
Oban
PA34 4AE
Tel: 01631 563071
Fax: 01631 566756
Email: SEERAD.Oban@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Balivanich
Isle of Benbecula
PA88 5LA
Tel: 01870 602346
Fax: 01870 602077
Email: SEERAD.Benbecula@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
10 Keith Street
Stornoway
PA87 2QG
Tel: 01851 702392
Fax: 01851 705793
Email: SEERAD.Stornoway@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Grampian
Thainstone Court
By Inverurie
Aberdeenshire
AB51 5YA
Tel: 01467 626222
Fax: 01467 626217
Email: SEERAD.Thainstone@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
32 Reidhaven Street
Elgin
IV30 1VE
Tel: 01343 547514
Fax: 01343 552312
Email: SEERAD.Elgin@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Highland
Government Building
28 Longman Road
Longman East
Inverness
IV1 1SF
Tel: 01463 234141
Fax: 01463 714697
Email: SEERAD.Inverness@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Estates Office
Portree
Isle of Skye
IV51 9DH
Tel: 01478 612516
Fax: 01478 613128
E-mail: SEERAD.Portree@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Northern
Strathbeg House
Clarence Street
Thurso
KW14 7JS
Tel: 01847 893104
Fax: 01847 895983
Email: SEERAD.Thurso@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Ord Croft
Lairg
Sutherland
IV27 4AZ
Tel: 01549 402167
Fax: 01549 402117
Email: SEERAD.Lairg@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Northern Isles
Government Building
Tankerness Lane
Kirkwall
Orkney
KW15 1AQ
Tel: 01856 875444
Fax: 01856 873309
Email: SEERAD.Kirkwall@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Charlotte House
Commercial Road
Lerwick
ZE1 0HF
Tel: 01595 695054
Fax: 01595 694254
Email: SEERAD.Lerwick@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
North Eastern Perth and Kinross
Broxden Business Park
Lamberkine Drive
Perth
PH1 1RZ
Tel: 01738 602000
Fax: 01738 602001
Email: SEERAD.Perth@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Southern
Government Buildings
161 Brooms Road
Dumfries
DG1 3ES
Tel: 01387 255292
Fax: 01387 267116
Email: SEERAD.Dumfries@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
South Eastern
Cotgreen Road
Tweedbank
Galashiels
TD1 3SG
Tel: 01896 892400
Fax: 01896 892424
Email: SEERAD.Galashiels@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
South Western
Russell House
King Street
Ayr
KA8 0BE
Tel: 01292 610188
Fax: 01292 611483
Email: SEERAD.Ayr@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Cadzow Court
3 Wellhall Road
Hamilton
ML3 9BH
Tel: 01698 281166
Fax: 01698 285277
Email: SEERAD.Hamilton@scotland.gsi.gov.uk