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