The executive and the farming community recognise the problem and we therefore intend to work closely together to tackle the issue

Ross Finnie Environment Minister

The five new areas are: Aberdeenshire, Banff and Buckie, part of Strathmore, Fife, Mid and East Lothian and the Borders and Nithsdale.

A further four areas are targeted for further data collection - Black Isle and Moray, part of Strathmore, Falkirk and West Lothian.

Under European guidelines, an area is designated as an NVZ if it contains more than 50 milligrams of nitrate in a litre of water.

Launching the document, Environment Minister Ross Finnie, said more than 90% of Scotland's waterways were of a high standard but more needed to be done to protect the remainder from pollution.

'Excellent' quality

"The majority of our rivers, lochs and burns are of good or excellent chemical and biological quality," he said.

"However, one area of concern is nitrate pollution in watercourses and groundwaters from farming.

"Both the executive and the farming community recognise the problem and we therefore intend to work closely together to tackle the issue."

Environmental groups have increasingly raised the issue of nitrate pollution in recent years.

High nutrient levels from fish farms have also been blamed for pollution which has forced the closure of scallop fisheries off Scotland's coasts.