The public petitions system has now closed ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections on 7 May 2026. It is not possible to submit a new petition to the Scottish Parliament or sign a petition until after the election.
The petitions system will reopen at the start of the new parliamentary session.
For more information about the petitions process, please contact the committee team at petitions.committee@parliament.scot.
For more information about the election campaign period and the dissolution of the current parliament, please visit the Scottish Parliament’s Election 2026 webpage: https://www.parliament.scot/msps/elections/election-2026
Closed petition PE2117: Ban the use of toxic chemicals along our coasts
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ban the use of any chemical labelled "very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects" or carrying the "Dead Fish" pictogram graphic, on coastal jetties or slipways.
Background information
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency currently licenses these chemicals to kill seaweed on jetties and slipways. In 2022 I discovered Edinburgh council was using a product labelled as "very toxic to aquatic life with lasting effects" to kill seaweed in South Queensferry. The council argued that the practice is required to reduce the slip risk for cruise ship passengers, a lucrative revenue source.
The product is banned by the Royal Yachting Association. When I notified the council thanked me and promised to replace the chemical with a safe alternative.
This year I discovered that the replacement, sodium hypochlorite, has very similar labelling and both carry the "Dead Fish" pictogram graphic.
Sodium hypochlorite is also labelled:
"causes severe skin burns and eye damage"
"may be corrosive to metals"
"contact with acids liberates toxic gas"
A ban is required because SEPA should not be licensing toxic products.
N.B. the Committee should therefore not take advice from SEPA on this matter.
This petition was considered by the Scottish Parliament
38 signatures