Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - fisheries management measures: fisheries assessment – Darwin Mounds SAC

3. Management Options

3.1 Overview of management options

Management measures are being considered by Scottish Ministers and any decision as to which measures ought to be taken forward are following a statutory public consultation exercise and taking into account the responses to this consultation. Any such decision will also be taken in line with the Scottish Ministers obligations in relation to the exercise of their functions.

The socioeconomic impacts and costs of the proposed management option (no additional measures) have been assessed within the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and are not discussed within this fisheries assessment. Nor are other considerations, statutory and non-statutory, which the Scottish Ministers may be required to take into account when assessing whether the imposition of a particular measures is appropriate.

This section assesses the suitability of the proposed management options in light of the conservation objectives, biological characteristics, and current activity levels for Darwin Mounds SAC.

For Darwin Mound SAC, considering the management already within the site (Figure 2 and Section 2.2) and no fishing activity taking place which has potential for LSE to the protected feature, the assessment concluded that the current levels of activity within the site will not result in an adverse effect on site integrity.

However, acknowledging the presence of biogenic reef within the site and the associated sensitivities of the feature, management options are considered to mitigate potential for impact from future demersal mobile gear (e.g. dredging, or seine) and demersal static gear.

Accordingly, Scottish Ministers consider a full site exclusion to demersal mobile and demersal static gear as sufficient to provide ongoing protection to the Annex I reef and would be considered sufficient to avoid an adverse effect on site integrity..

3.2 Assessment of management options

3.2.1 No additional management

For Darwin Mounds SAC, in response to gears identified as damaging and site specific JNCC advice (JNCC Advice on Operations), the assessment identifies that management measures are required to avoid adverse effects on site integrity from demersal mobile and demersal static gear activity. Accordingly the option of “no management” is not considered further.

3.2.2 Zoned management

Scottish Ministers have assessed the available evidence regarding the impact of demersal mobile and demersal static gears on the protected features, as detailed in the JNCC Conservation advice and JNCC Advice on Operations Workbook. In light of this evidence, a zoned management option is not considered suitable for the protected features to ensure site integrity for Darwin Mounds SAC.

3.2.3 Full site exclusion

This option would exclude all demersal mobile and all demersal static gear from the full extent of the site Figure 3.

Removing all pressures associated with demersal mobile and demersal static gears would support the restoration of the reef feature to favourable condition, such that, subject to natural change the extent and distribution of the qualifying habitat in the site, the structure and function of the qualifying habitat in the site; and the supporting processes on which the qualifying habitat relies are restored thereby ensuring the integrity of the site.

Given the available evidence, Scottish Ministers consider that a full site exclusion to all demersal mobile and demersal static gear would support the restoration of the reef feature to favourable condition and this management measure would be considered sufficient to avoid an adverse effect on site integrity of Darwin Mounds SAC.

3.3 Management options conclusion

No fishing activities were found to occur within the site during the assessment period (2015 to 2019) that were identified as incompatible with the conservation objectives of the site and could result in an adverse effect on site integrity. However, with the presence of biogenic reef within the site and the associated sensitivities of the feature, management options are considered to mitigate potential for impact from future demersal mobile and demersal static fishing activity.

Scottish Ministers consider that adopting no additional management for mobile demersal fishing would pose the risk of adversely affecting the site integrity of Darwin Mounds SAC. Given the evidence and advice from JNCC, Scottish Minsters do not consider a zoned management option to be sufficient to avoid and adverse effect on site integrity.

Scottish Ministers consider a full site exclusion for all demersal mobile and demersal static activity would be sufficient to avoid an adverse effect on site integrity of Darwin Mounds SAC.

The decision on which management option is to be taken forward will be taken in the light of all relevant duties incumbent upon the Scottish Ministers in relation to the exercise of their functions and following upon the statutory public consultation exercise in which views on the options under consideration were invited and considered.