The waters off the Berwickshire coast have long been considered special by marine biologists as they contain a fantastic abundance and diversity of marine life. Add to this clear waters and spectacular underwater scenery and it is not surprising that divers have been coming to the area for decades.

In the early days numbers were low, but word soon spread and by the 1970s there were concerns that increasing human activity might start to have an adverse effect on the wildlife. Initially divers banned themselves from taking a crab or lobster “for the pot” from around St Abbs and the Barefoot Marine Reserve was set up at Eyemouth by a local landowner. Then in 1984 local fishermen, divers and conservationists got together and decided to create St Abbs & Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve (VMR). This was the first reserve of its kind in the UK and, to this day, remains the only one in Scotland.

The VMR aims to balance the needs of the area’s marine life with the needs of recreation & traditional creel fishing. Protection of the marine life relies on educating people who use the area, promoting responsible behaviour and asking them to stick to a voluntary Code of Conduct.

2nd February 2012
The VMR's Response to a Marine Protected Area at St Abbs
This statement is about the third party proposal for the St Abbs are Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve (VMR) to become a Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Marine (Scotland) Act.

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13th December 2011
Science Group meets for the first time
On 6th December we were joined by scientists for the first meeting of the VMR's Scientific Study Group.

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19th September 2011
Basking shark is back!
Last month there was sighting of a basking shark off St Abbs head and yesterday another shark was spotted at the entrance to St Abbs harbour!!

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