Consultation on Fisheries Management Measures with Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - Online Engagement Event Five minutes: September 2024

Minutes from the fifth online engagement event, held on 26 September 2024, in support of the consultation on fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).


Attendees and apologies

  • officials from Scottish Government Marine Directorate
  • officials from Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)
  • six external attendees, representing members of the public and organisations (these events were wholly open to the public to allow them to ask questions on the on-going consultation and the names of individuals have not been provided)

Items and actions

Introduction and presentation

A short presentation was given to attendees for background and wider context for the public consultation on fisheries management within offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

 

Open floor questions and statements

Engagement

The online engagement events and consultation have been advertised through various routes including social media posts, direct emails to key stakeholder groups, bulletin issue, alert on fisheries licensing page and posters in fishery offices. The number of attendees for each event, in person and online, has varied. Marine Directorate have also engaged with stakeholders for site specific meetings and to answer specific questions. Ministers have written to the EU commission to notify them of this consultation. The consultation is open to anyone to respond and Marine Directorate have engaged with other administrations and states.

Timelines for final management measures

Following closure of the consultation on the 14th of October 2024, consultation analysis will commence and following this a report consolidating reviews will be produced. Ministers will then decide on measures to take forward and the relevant orders will be laid, likely in 2025.  The summary of consultation responses will be a public document.

Responding to the consultation

Marine Directorate recognise that the consultation is very complex and contains lots of information. Geospatial tools have been utilised to allow users to look at specific areas and view high level info for sights. Marine Directorate are considering how to make the inshore consultation more accessible. Users are advised to get in contact if further clarification is needed and if struggling with Citizen Space views can also be emailed to Marine_biodiversity@gov.scot.

Impact assessments

The impacts assessments will focus more on larger offshore fleets which generally fish beyond 12 nautical miles. Impact to potential inshore fishing vessels will have been captured, if they fish within the offshore MPAs. 
The inshore fisheries management measures will also take into account through their impact assessment any potential impacts of proposed fisheries management measures. 

Assessing a full site restriction to relevant fishing gears gives a full range of impacts (both socio-economic and environmental) to help inform Scottish Ministers decisions on final fisheries management measures to take forward. It is also a requirement under The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 to assess any reasonable alternatives.  

No restrictions are being brought forward for pelagic gear – only demersal mobile and demersal static.

All impacts have been assessed from zones to full site so any impacts fall within range and meet conservation objectives. A third option between zonal approach and full site is not anticipated and, while there may be further engagement with stakeholders on small amendments, there will be no further consultations on the final offshore fisheries management measures.

 

Actions

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