The Firth of Forth has been offered increased protection after being named as a protected area by the Scottish Government.

The Forth is one of 13 offshore sites to be named a Marine Protected Area (MPA), in a bid to protect the country’s iconic marine species and habitats.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee has worked alongside Scottish National Heritage to offer greater protection to the 22 individual species of whales, cold water coral reefs and seabirds that can be found in the country’s waters.

The Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick welcomed the news of the Forth’s listing.

Tom Brock, chief executive, said: “Working with other environmental charities, the seabird centre has, for a long time, been lobbying hard for better protection of Scotland’s outstanding marine environment and wildlife.

“These are of international importance and this announcement by the Scottish Government is therefore extremely welcome.

“The creation of 30 Marine Protected Areas around Scotland’s coasts will help to safeguard our marine wildlife, including seabirds, for future generations.

“We are delighted that one of the MPAs will be the Firth of Forth Banks Complex. This is a very important feeding area for our local seabirds (over 165,000 pairs of seabirds nest on the Forth Islands). Better protection will also help marine mammals, including dolphins and whales.”