Nephrops Fisheries Management Plans: strategic environmental report

Overview

The SEA aims to ensure that decision-making and consultation on the draft Nephrops Fisheries Management Plans are informed by relevant environmental information.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has concluded that beyond the direct impact on targeted stocks, the fishery has an impact on the wider marine environment primarily through seabed disturbance (from demersal trawls) and bycatch of unwanted / protected species (from creels and demersal trawls). Actions have been proposed to investigate these impacts and to use this evidence to develop robust mitigation strategies. The contribution of Nephrops fishing to climate change related issues and cultural heritage through structural damage, for example, was also identified as a potential impact.

The draft Nephrops FMPs have considered these impacts and set out proposals to monitor, and where required, introduce mitigation to address these impacts. Table 4 in Annex 1 provides a summary of the high-level assessment of the positive and negative environmental effects of the draft Nephrops FMPs’ policies and actions.

The assessment of the likely negative effects of the policies and actions did not identify any negative effects that posed a significant risk to the environment. Policies and actions, will, where appropriate, be developed to avoid any potential negative effects identified by the assessment process. The environmental effects of implementing the draft Nephrops FMPs’ policies and actions will also be monitored to identify unforeseen adverse effects at an early stage, so that appropriate remedial action can be undertaken.

Please note this document is available as a PDF only from the above supporting documents section.