Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - fisheries management measures: equality impact assessment

Stage 3: Assessing the impacts and identifying opportunities to promote equality

Age

The assessment concluded that there is no evidence to suggest the policy proposal will have any significant impact on people because of their age. A full Socio-economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) was undertaken as part of policy development, assessing the impacts on three age groups: children, those of working age, and pensioners. The policy may potentially affect a small proportion of the working-age population within the commercial fishing industry, with no direct effect expected on children, young people, or pensioners. In 2021, Scottish fishing vessels employed 4,241 people (Scottish Government, 2022) and the seafood processing sector employed 7,785 people (Seafish, 2022). The SEIA estimates that the proposed management options could place between 9 and 101 full-time jobs at risk in the commercial fishing sector and its supply chain, representing a maximum of 0.08% of the total Scottish commercial fisheries and processing workforce. No concerns specific to age were raised during pre-consultation engagement.

Disability

There is no evidence to suggest that the policy proposal will have any significant impact on people who have a disability. Although disability and long-term sickness were considered within the SEIA, no employment data breakdown was available for this characteristic. Any potential social impacts would occur only as a consequence of wider local economic effects, and these would not be specific to disabled people. Based on the absence of concerns raised during the pre-consultation exercise, it is considered unlikely that there will be negative or discriminatory impacts.

Sex

No evidence suggests that the policy proposal will have a significant impact on men and women in different ways. Within Scottish commercial fishing, 99% of vessel-based workers are male and 1% female, while the processing sector workforce is 51% male, 36% female, and 13% of unknown sex (Seafish, 2022). The SEIA estimates that between 9 and 101 full-time jobs could be at risk due to the proposed management measures, but these impacts would not be gender-specific. No concerns regarding differential impacts on men or women were raised during pre-consultation, and it is anticipated that the measures will not result in unlawful discrimination.

Pregnancy and maternity

It is anticipated that the policy will have no differential or discriminatory impact on people because of pregnancy or maternity. Any social impacts would be the result of local economic effects, and these would not be specific to this characteristic. No concerns were raised during pre-consultation engagement.

Gender reassignment

No evidence suggests that the policy will have a significant impact on people proposing to undergo, undergoing, or who have undergone gender reassignment. Any social impacts would be linked to broader local economic effects and would not be specific to this characteristic. Pre-consultation engagement did not identify any concerns.

Sexual orientation

It is not anticipated that the policy will have any differential or discriminatory impact on people based on their sexual orientation. Any social effects would be indirect, arising from general local economic impacts, and would not target this group specifically. No concerns were raised during pre-consultation engagement.

Race

No evidence suggests that the policy proposal will have a significant impact on people on the grounds of race. Any social impacts would be related to wider local economic effects rather than racial characteristics. No concerns were raised during pre-consultation engagement.

Religion or belief

The policy is not expected to have a differential or discriminatory impact on people based on religion or belief. Potential social impacts would result from local economic changes and would not target this characteristic. No issues were identified during pre-consultation engagement.

Marriage and civil partnership

It is anticipated that the policy will have no differential or discriminatory impact on people because of their marriage or civil partnership status. Any social impacts would be linked to wider economic changes rather than this characteristic. No specific concerns were raised during pre-consultation engagement.