Inshore waters - regulated commercial use of traps/pots to catch wrasse: fisheries assessment
A fisheries assessment of how the Scottish inshore wild wrasse fishery interacts with the Marine Protected Areas network.
3. Assessment of the wrasse fishery on kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment in NCMPAs
This assessment considers the targeted removal of wrasse and their role as part of the relevant feature and the associated ecosystem. It also considers the impact of the use of the fishing gear (traps) on specific benthic features. Wrasse are known to interact with kelp and seaweed habitats, both as predators of invertebrates and as part of the broader reef-associated community structure. Their removal may have indirect effects on the ecological balance within these habitats, particularly where they contribute to controlling grazer populations that influence seaweed cover. Additionally, the deployment and retrieval of traps on sublittoral sediment may pose a risk of physical disturbance. This assessment therefore evaluates both direct and indirect pressures arising from the fishery in relation to the conservation objectives of the NCMPAs.
3.1 Sites affected
The following MPAs have been identified by NatureScot as sites where ‘kelp and seaweed communities’ are a protected feature and where the Scottish wrasse fishery could potentially exert pressures on features which are sensitive to the removal of wrasse, or the use of traps to catch wrasse.
3.2 High-level conservation objectives
High level conservation objectives for the sites are that the protected features:
- so far as already in favourable condition, remain in such condition; and
- so far as not already in favourable condition, be brought into such condition, and remain in such condition.
“Favourable condition”, with respect to a marine habitat, means that:
a) its extent is stable or increasing; and
b) its structures and functions, its quality, and the composition of its characteristic biological communities are such as to ensure that it is in a condition which is healthy and not deteriorating.
In paragraph (b) the reference to the composition of the characteristic biological communities of a marine habitat includes a reference to the diversity and abundance of species of marine flora and fauna forming part of, or inhabiting, that habitat.
Site specific conservation objectives are given in the relevant CMA.
3.3 Marine Protected Area assessment
3.3.1 Screening for activities capable of affecting, other than insignificantly, the protected features within the site
Relevant fishing activities are defined as commercial fishing gears (traps) that currently operate or could conceivably operate in the future within this site for the prosecution of wrasse.
Site
Fetlar to Haroldswick NC MPA; South Arran NC MPA; Wyre and Rousay Sounds NC MPA; Wester Ross NC MPA
Advice to support management
No additional management required
Relevant pressures
Removal of target species, surface abrasion, removal of non-target species (incidental bycatch)
3.3.2 Potential effect mechanisms from fishing activities and conclusions on whether these are capable of affecting the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment other than insignificantly
Sites where fishing activity has occurred and where there is an indication of future demand.
Site
Fetlar to Haroldswick NC MPA
Advice to support management - Static gear
No additional management required
Potential interaction with the wrasse fishery (typically <10m depth)
Potential interaction – records within the 2-10m depth band of the fishery
Removal of target species (including lethal)
Capable of affecting feature
Surface abrasion
Capable of affecting feature
Removal of non-target species (including lethal)
Capable of affecting feature
Site
Wyre and Rousay Sounds NC MPA
Advice to support management - Static gear
No additional management required
Potential interaction with the wrasse fishery (typically <10m depth)
Potential interaction – records within the 2-15m depth band of the fishery
Removal of target species (including lethal)
Capable of affecting feature
Surface abrasion
Capable of affecting feature
Removal of non-target species (including lethal)
Capable of affecting feature
Site
Wester Ross NC MPA
Advice to support management - Static gear
No additional management required
Potential interaction with the wrasse fishery (typically <10m depth)
Potential interaction – records within the 2-20m depth band of the fishery
Removal of target species (including lethal)
Capable of affecting feature
Surface abrasion
Capable of affecting feature
Removal of non-target species (including lethal)
Capable of affecting feature
Site where no recent recorded wrasse fishing activity has occurred and there is no indication that there will be a future demand. From 2025, no wrasse fishing activity will be authorised in the site below unless following appropriate review of this assessment.
Site
South Arran NC MPA
Advice to support management - Static gear
No additional management required
Potential interaction with the wrasse fishery (typically <10m depth)
No interaction – no fishery currently permitted
Removal of target species (including lethal)
N/A
Surface abrasion
N/A
Removal of non-target species (including lethal)
N/A
3.4 Assessment of the impacts of the fishing for wrasse on kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment within the sites
3.4.1 Habitat assessment - its extent is stable or increasing
Fetlar to Haroldswick NC MPA
Site specific advice:
Conserve the current extent and distribution of kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment within the site so that it is stable or increasing.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
The kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment is naturally highly fragmented where recorded in shallow waters around Scotland’s coastline. There are several distinct and separate areas of the different component biotopes that comprise the feature across the MPA including within Basta Voe, Uyea and Skuda Sound, Balta Sound and to the East of Unst. The largest area of this feature is within the Uyea and Skuda Sound (2km2). The main species of kelp in this site is Saccharina latissima.
The area of the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment feature has been estimated to be 3.07km2 with the feature present between 0-20m depth. It is likely to be more widely distributed on suitable substrates in the infralittoral zone (down to ca. 20 m) than existing records suggest.
Assessments based on expert knowledge suggest that creeling is of limited concern to coarse sediments (Roberts et al., 2010; Hall et al., 2008; JNCC and NE, 2011). Stephenson et al. (2017) found no impact on kelp abundance from experimental creeling.
The impact of fishing for wrasse with creels (traps/pots) is unlikely to significantly affect the extent of kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment in Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA.
Wyre and Rousay Sounds NC MPA
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the current extent and distribution of kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment within the site so that it is stable or increasing.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
The kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment is naturally highly fragmented where recorded in shallow waters around Scotland’s coastline. There are several distinct and separate areas of the different component biotopes that comprise the feature across the MPA including within Wyre Sound (0.36 km2) and Rousay Sound (1.62 km2), with a total estimated area of 1.98 km2. Given the highly fragmented nature of this feature, it is likely to be more widely distributed on suitable substrates in the infralittoral zone (down to ca. 20 m) than existing records suggest. The main species of kelp in this site is Saccharina latissima
Assessments based on expert knowledge suggest that creeling is of limited concern to coarse sediments (Roberts et al., 2010; Hall et al., 2008; JNCC and NE, 2011). Stephenson et al. (2017) found no impact on Saccharina latissima abundance from experimental creeling.
The impact of fishing for wrasse with creels (traps/pots) is unlikely to significantly affect the extent of kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment in Wyre and Rousay Sounds MPA.
Wester Ross NC MPA
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the current extent and distribution of kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment within the site so that it is stable or increasing.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
The kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment protected feature is naturally highly fragmented where recorded in shallow waters around Scotland’s coastline, and there are several distinct and separated areas of the different component biotopes that comprise the feature across the MPA. The key characterising species of this feature such as sugar kelp Saccharina latissima and the bootlace weed Chorda filum are widespread, occurring in other sedimentary and rocky habitats, so this fragmentation is natural and unlikely to affect recruitment and population maintenance.
Assessments based on expert knowledge suggest that creeling is of limited concern to coarse sediments (Roberts et al., 2010; Hall et al., 2008; JNCC and NE, 2011). Stephenson et al. (2017) found no impact on Saccharina latissima abundance from experimental creeling.
The impact of fishing for wrasse with creels (traps/pots) is unlikely to significantly affect the extent of kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment in Wester Ross MPA.
3.4.2 Habitat assessment - its structures and functions, its quality, and the composition of its characteristic biological communities are such as to ensure that it is in a condition which is healthy and not deteriorating
Fetlar to Haroldswick NC MPA
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the physical structure of the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
The proposed fishing depths (2-10m) in this site cover 48% of the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment extent, however the feature is estimated to be more widely distributed than existing records suggest.
Assessments based on expert knowledge suggest that creeling is of limited concern to coarse sediments (Roberts et al., 2010; Hall et al., 2008; JNCC and NE, 2011). Stephenson et al. (2017) found no impact on Saccharina latissima abundance from experimental creeling.
The removal of target species (wrasse) from habitats could influence the three-dimensional structure created by fauna and flora due their predation on grazers. Wrasses tend to eat hard-bodied prey, with the relative proportions of food items consumed differing between species, and across sizes within a species. For example, larger ballan wrasse are capable of eating large bivalves which smaller individuals or other wrasse species cannot. Such niche partitioning between species has been found in Scotland, with the feeding activity of ballan wrasse thought to play an influential role in the ecological functioning of algae-covered rocky reefs (for example, preying on algivorous invertebrates thereby preventing overgrazing in algal habitats). A study from the Azores suggests ballan wrasse are an important predator of sea urchins and keep populations of these grazers in check on algal habitats (Figueiredo et al., 2005), however it is unknown if this function is also performed by ballan wrasse in Scotland. Saccharina latissima can be transient in nature and has the potential to rapidly recover following disturbance with a ‘high’ resilience rating (Stamp et al., 2022).
The proposed fishing activity will result in ‘high’ densities of creels on the feature (as defined in Rees et al., 2021), however Saccharina latissimi has high resilience and there is limited evidence of impact of creeling on kelp habitats due to abrasion or non-target removal of species.
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the functions provided by kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment and the environmental conditions that support them.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
Several key functions are provided by kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment in Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA. The communities also provide shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates, particularly in association with kelp beds, and will connect to other reef habitats through the supply of larvae/gametes. The high diversity associated with kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment helps the environment to have a natural resilience to INNS and disease. The kelp beds have a role in nutrient cycling and carbon storage and climate regulation through the production of biomass. Kelp and seaweed communities can also provide coastal protection and waste breakdown & detoxification of water and sediments.
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the diversity, abundance and distribution of characteristic species associated with the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment (including the algae Saccharina latissima, Saccorhiza polyschides and Chorda filum).
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
Wrasse species are recognised as vital components of temperate algae dominated systems. Although the composition of wrasse assemblages varies seasonally in terms of abundance, these species consistently represent a significant portion of the resident fish community across various rocky reef habitats throughout the year (Magill & Sayer, 2002). Wrasse are among the most abundant fish species on shallow rocky reefs and coastlines in Northern Europe (Halvorsen et al., 2017a).
While individual wrasse species exhibit seasonal variation in abundance, they remain a prominent and consistent component of rocky reef habitats year-round. As such, wrasse can be considered typical species of rocky reefs and kelp beds.
A reduction in the abundance of any wrasse species may affect algae-covered rocky reefs by: (i) reducing the presence of key characteristic species (wrasse), (ii) altering benthic habitat and fish community structure, and (iii) disrupting the trophic structure of food webs associated with the reef feature.
The current management regime, based on specific licensing conditions, is designed to be adaptive and responsive to new evidence. Key measures include the introduction of minimum and maximum landing sizes. It is predicted that ballan wrasse, the primary commercial species in Scotland, will benefit from these measures which help protect both immature females and rare larger males. However, due to differences in life-history strategies among the five target species (e.g., maturation schedules), their susceptibility to overexploitation under the current regime is likely to vary.
Additional management measures include a closed season (December to May) and a requirement for traps to be fitted with escape panels to reduce bycatch. An analysis of the live wrasse fishery identified up to 60 coastal fish species potentially caught by the gear, although only five are used as cleaner fish. A risk assessment concluded that few of these species are at risk of overexploitation, as non-target species are returned to the sea using methods intended to preserve their health and welfare. To mitigate barotrauma, gear hauling speed is limited to six metres per minute, although compliance and the post-release survival of discards have not yet been evaluated.
Ballan and cuckoo wrasse are considered particularly vulnerable to overfishing, partly due to their long life histories and hermaphrodite biology (Pritchard et al., 2025b).
A recent study sampled approximately 1,800 Scottish ballan wrasse caught commercially. None were identified as males, suggesting that maximum landing sizes is effectively protecting larger males. Additionally, none of the sampled fish were spawning, indicating that the closed season is protecting spawning individuals. However, commercial fishing gear was found capable of capturing wrasse outside the designated size limits, potentially exposing wrasse to predation by larger non-target species within traps (Pritchard, 2025a).
Currently, there is no stock assessment for wrasse species or any stock information, and the number of individuals removed per haul remains unclear. The predicted intensity of fishing within Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA is high so currently it cannot be concluded that there is no effect on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of typical species – particularly given the concern around over exploitation of ballan wrasse.
There is a significant risk the wrasse fishery hindering the achievement of conserving the diversity, abundance and distribution of characteristic species associated with the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA.
Wyre and Rousay Sounds NC MPA
Site specific advice:
Conserve the physical structure of the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
The proposed fishing depths (5-15m) cover 77% of the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment extent, however the feature is estimated to be more widely distributed than existing records suggest.
Assessments based on expert knowledge suggest that creeling is of limited concern to coarse sediments (Roberts et al., 2010; Hall et al., 2008; JNCC and NE, 2011). Stephenson et al. (2017) found no impact on Saccharina latissima abundance from experimental creeling.
The removal of target species (wrasse) from habitats could influence the three-dimensional structure created by fauna and flora due their predation on grazers. Wrasses tend to eat hard-bodied prey, with the relative proportions of food items consumed differing between species, and across sizes within a species. For example, larger ballan wrasse are capable of eating large bivalves which smaller individuals or other wrasse species cannot. Such niche partitioning between species has been found in Scotland, with the feeding activity of ballan wrasse thought to play an influential role in the ecological functioning of algae-covered rocky reefs (for example, preying on algivorous invertebrates thereby preventing overgrazing in algal habitats). A study from the Azores suggests ballan wrasse are an important predator of sea urchins and keep populations of these grazers in check on algal habitats, however it is unknown if this function is also performed by ballan wrasse in Scotland (Figueiredo et al., 2005). Saccharina latissima can be transient in nature and has the potential to rapidly recover following disturbance with a ‘high’ resilience rating (Stamp et al., 2022).
The proposed fishing activity will result in ‘high’ densities of creels (traps/pots) on the feature (as defined in Rees et al., 2021), however Saccharina latissima has high resilience and there is limited evidence of impact of creeling on kelp habitats.
Site specific advice:
Conserve the functions provided by kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment and the environmental conditions that support them.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
The kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediments in Wyre and Rousay Sounds MPA are naturally fragmented which may limit the services they offer. For example, their relative contribution to services such as nutrient cycling, carbon storage & climate regulation and biomass production may be low when considering their contribution across Scotland. They have been assessed as having a medium contribution to larval/gamete supply (supporting connectivity) due to the presence of tidal flushing.
Site specific advice:
Conserve the diversity, abundance and distribution of characteristic species associated with the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral (including the algae Saccharina latissima, Laminaria hyperborea, and Phyllophora crispa, bryozoans, sea urchins and goby).
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
Wrasse species are recognised as vital components of temperate algae dominated systems. Although the composition of wrasse assemblages varies seasonally in terms of abundance, these species consistently represent a significant portion of the resident fish community across various rocky reef habitats throughout the year (Magill & Sayer, 2002). Wrasse are among the most abundant fish species on shallow rocky reefs and coastlines in Northern Europe (Halvorsen et al., 2017a).
While individual wrasse species exhibit seasonal variation in abundance, they remain a prominent and consistent component of rocky reef habitats year-round. As such, wrasse can be considered typical species of rocky reefs and kelp beds.
A reduction in the abundance of any wrasse species may affect algae-covered rocky reefs by: (i) reducing the presence of key characteristic species (wrasse), (ii) altering benthic habitat and fish community structure, and (iii) disrupting the trophic structure of food webs associated with the reef feature.
The current management regime, based on specific licensing conditions, is designed to be adaptive and responsive to new evidence. Key measures include the introduction of minimum and maximum landing sizes. It is predicted that ballan wrasse, the primary commercial species in Scotland, will benefit from these measures which help protect both immature females and rare larger males. However, due to differences in life-history strategies among the five target species (e.g., maturation schedules), their susceptibility to overexploitation under the current regime is likely to vary.
Additional management measures include a closed season (December to May) and a requirement for traps to be fitted with escape panels to reduce bycatch. An analysis of the live wrasse fishery identified up to 60 coastal fish species potentially caught by the gear, although only five are used as cleaner fish. A risk assessment concluded that few of these species are at risk of overexploitation, as non-target species are returned to the sea using methods intended to preserve their health and welfare. To mitigate barotrauma, gear hauling speed is limited to six metres per minute, although compliance and the post-release survival of discards have not yet been evaluated.
Ballan and cuckoo wrasse are considered particularly vulnerable to overfishing, partly due to their long life histories and hermaphrodite biology (Pritchard et al., 2025b).
A recent study sampled approximately 1,800 Scottish ballan wrasse caught commercially. None were identified as males, suggesting that maximum landing sizes is effectively protecting larger males. Additionally, none of the sampled fish were spawning, indicating that the closed season is protecting spawning individuals. However, commercial fishing gear was found capable of capturing wrasse outside the designated size limits, potentially exposing wrasse to predation by larger non-target species within traps (Pritchard, 2025a).
Currently, there is no stock assessment for wrasse species or any stock information, and the number of individuals removed per haul remains unclear. The predicted intensity of fishing within Wyre and Rousay Sounds MPA is high over 77% of the feature so currently it cannot be concluded that there is no effect on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of typical species – particularly given the concern around over exploitation of ballan wrasse.
Wrasse species are recognised as vital components of temperate algae dominated systems. Although the composition of wrasse assemblages varies seasonally in terms of abundance, these species consistently represent a significant portion of the resident fish community across various rocky reef habitats throughout the year (Magill & Sayer, 2002). Wrasse are among the most abundant fish species on shallow rocky reefs and coastlines in Northern Europe (Halvorsen et al., 2017a).
While individual wrasse species exhibit seasonal variation in abundance, they remain a prominent and consistent component of rocky reef habitats year-round. As such, wrasse can be considered typical species of rocky reefs and kelp beds.
A reduction in the abundance of any wrasse species may affect algae-covered rocky reefs by: (i) reducing the presence of key characteristic species (wrasse), (ii) altering benthic habitat and fish community structure, and (iii) disrupting the trophic structure of food webs associated with the reef feature.
The current management regime, based on specific licensing conditions, is designed to be adaptive and responsive to new evidence. Key measures include the introduction of minimum and maximum landing sizes. It is predicted that ballan wrasse, the primary commercial species in Scotland, will benefit from these measures which help protect both immature females and rare larger males. However, due to differences in life-history strategies among the five target species (e.g., maturation schedules), their susceptibility to overexploitation under the current regime is likely to vary.
Additional management measures include a closed season (December to May) and a requirement for traps to be fitted with escape panels to reduce bycatch. An analysis of the live wrasse fishery identified up to 60 coastal fish species potentially caught by the gear, although only five are used as cleaner fish. A risk assessment concluded that few of these species are at risk of overexploitation, as non-target species are returned to the sea using methods intended to preserve their health and welfare. To mitigate barotrauma, gear hauling speed is limited to six metres per minute, although compliance and the post-release survival of discards have not yet been evaluated.
Ballan and cuckoo wrasse are considered particularly vulnerable to overfishing, partly due to their long life histories and hermaphrodite biology (Pritchard et al., 2025b).
A recent study sampled approximately 1,800 Scottish ballan wrasse caught commercially. None were identified as males, suggesting that maximum landing sizes is effectively protecting larger males. Additionally, none of the sampled fish were spawning, indicating that the closed season is protecting spawning individuals. However, commercial fishing gear was found capable of capturing wrasse outside the designated size limits, potentially exposing wrasse to predation by larger non-target species within traps (Pritchard, 2025a).
Currently, there is no stock assessment for wrasse species or any stock information, and the number of individuals removed per haul remains unclear. The predicted intensity of fishing within Wyre and Rousay Sounds MPA is high over 77% of the feature so currently it cannot be concluded that there is no effect on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of typical species – particularly given the concern around over exploitation of ballan wrasse.
There is a significant risk the wrasse fishery hindering the achievement of c onserving the diversity, abundance and distribution of characteristic species associated with the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment Wyre and Rousay Sounds MPA .
Wester Ross NC MPA
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the physical structure of the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment.
The proposed fishing depths (2-20m) cover 76% of the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment extent, however the feature is estimated to be more widely distributed than existing records suggest.
Assessments based on expert knowledge suggest that creeling is of limited concern to coarse sediments (Roberts et al., 2010; Hall et al., 2008; JNCC and NE, 2011). Stephenson et al. (2017) found no impact on Saccharina latissima abundance from experimental creeling.
The removal of target species (wrasse) from habitats could influence the three-dimensional structure created by fauna and flora due their predation on grazers. Wrasses tend to eat hard-bodied prey, with the relative proportions of food items consumed differing between species, and across sizes within a species. For example, larger ballan wrasse are capable of eating large bivalves which smaller individuals or other wrasse species cannot. Such niche partitioning between species has been found in Scotland, with the feeding activity of ballan wrasse thought to play an influential role in the ecological functioning of algae-covered rocky reefs (for example, preying on algivorous invertebrates thereby preventing overgrazing in algal habitats). A study from the Azores suggests ballan wrasse are an important predator of sea urchins and keep populations of these grazers in check on algal habitats, however it is unknown if this function is also performed by ballan wrasse in Scotland (Figueiredo et al., 2005). Saccharina latissima can be transient in nature and has the potential to rapidly recover following disturbance with a ‘high’ resilience rating (Stamp et al., 2022).
The proposed fishing activity will result in ‘low’ densities of creels (traps/pots) on the feature (as defined in Rees et al., 2021), and as Saccharina latissima has high resilience and there is limited evidence of impact of creeling on kelp habitats the risk to this objective is considered to be low.
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the functions provided by kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment and the environmental conditions that support them.
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
Several key functions are provided by kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment in Wester Ross MPA. The communities also provide shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates, particularly in association with kelp beds, and will connect to other reef habitats through the supply of larvae/gametes. The high diversity associated with kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment helps the environment to have a natural resilience to INNS and disease. The kelp beds have a role in nutrient cycling and carbon storage and climate regulation through the production of biomass. Kelp and seaweed communities can also provide coastal protection and waste breakdown & detoxification of water and sediments.
Site Specific Advice:
Conserve the diversity, abundance and distribution of characteristic species associated with the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral (including the algae Saccharina latissima, Laminaria hyperborean, and Phyllophora crispa, bryozoans, sea urchins and goby).
Assessment of risk from identified effect mechanisms:
Wrasse species are recognised as vital components of temperate algae dominated systems. Although the composition of wrasse assemblages varies seasonally in terms of abundance, these species consistently represent a significant portion of the resident fish community across various rocky reef habitats throughout the year (Magill & Sayer, 2002). Wrasse are among the most abundant fish species on shallow rocky reefs and coastlines in Northern Europe (Halvorsen et al., 2017a).
While individual wrasse species exhibit seasonal variation in abundance, they remain a prominent and consistent component of rocky reef habitats year-round. As such, wrasse can be considered typical species of rocky reefs and kelp beds.
A reduction in the abundance of any wrasse species may affect algae-covered rocky reefs by: (i) reducing the presence of key characteristic species (wrasse), (ii) altering benthic habitat and fish community structure, and (iii) disrupting the trophic structure of food webs associated with the reef feature.
The current management regime, based on specific licensing conditions, is designed to be adaptive and responsive to new evidence. Key measures include the introduction of minimum and maximum landing sizes. It is predicted that ballan wrasse, the primary commercial species in Scotland, will benefit from these measures which help protect both immature females and rare larger males. However, due to differences in life-history strategies among the five target species (e.g., maturation schedules), their susceptibility to overexploitation under the current regime is likely to vary.
Additional management measures include a closed season (December to May) and a requirement for traps to be fitted with escape panels to reduce bycatch. An analysis of the live wrasse fishery identified up to 60 coastal fish species potentially caught by the gear, although only five are used as cleaner fish. A risk assessment concluded that few of these species are at risk of overexploitation, as non-target species are returned to the sea using methods intended to preserve their health and welfare. To mitigate barotrauma, gear hauling speed is limited to six metres per minute, although compliance and the post-release survival of discards have not yet been evaluated.
Ballan and cuckoo wrasse are considered particularly vulnerable to overfishing, partly due to their long life histories and hermaphrodite biology (Pritchard et al., 2025b). A recent study sampled approximately 1,800 Scottish ballan wrasse caught commercially. None were identified as males, suggesting that maximum landing sizes is effectively protecting larger males. Additionally, none of the sampled fish were spawning, indicating that the closed season is protecting spawning individuals. However, commercial fishing gear was found capable of capturing wrasse outside the designated size limits, potentially exposing wrasse to predation by larger non-target species within traps (Pritchard, 2025a).
Currently, there is no stock assessment for wrasse species or any stock information, and the number of individuals removed per haul remains unclear. The predicted intensity of fishing within Wester Ross MPA is low but covers 76% of the feature so currently it cannot be concluded that there is no effect on the diversity, abundance, and distribution of typical species – particularly given the concern around over exploitation of ballan wrasse.
There is a significant risk the wrasse fishery hindering the achievement of conserving the diversity, abundance and distribution of characteristic species associated with the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment Wester Ross MPA.
3.5 Assessment of cumulative and in combination effects of the wrasse fishery with other activities
The wrasse fishery under consideration operates in shallow, nearshore, rocky reef and kelp habitats. Due to the specific habitat requirements there is limited spatial and operational overlap with demersal towed gear fisheries such as trawling or dredging, which are generally confined to deeper, softer sediment habitats. As such, the potential for in-combination effects with demersal towed gear is considered negligible.
However, there is a greater likelihood of interaction with other static gear fisheries, particularly creel fisheries targeting crab and lobster, which may also operate in similar shallow, rocky environments. Currently, comprehensive spatial data on the distribution and intensity of these creel fisheries is limited, but as the main concern with the wrasse fishery is primarily to do with the impact of removing the target species, rather than abrasion to the seabed, the potential for significant in-combination effects with other static gear fisheries is considered low. Nevertheless, the possibility of localised ecological interactions cannot be entirely ruled out.
There are no active licences or applications for other plans or projects within the Fetlar to Haroldswick, Wyre and Rousay Sounds and Wester Ross NC MPAs.
3.6 Taking account of management measures
The above appraisal suggests that there is a significant risk the wrasse fishery hindering the achievement of conserving the diversity, abundance and distribution of characteristic species associated with the kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment, primarily through the removal of the target species. Wrasse are ecologically important within reef systems, and their removal may influence trophic dynamics and community structure. As such, careful management is required to ensure that the fishery does not compromise the conservation objectives of these sites.
Management measures already in place and those planned for the 2025 season are described in detail above. Plans to reduce the impact of the wrasse fishery in these sites include zoning to avoid fishing activity on relevant protected features whilst also accounting for the site fidelity and home range of wrasse. Ballan wrasse exhibit extreme site fidelity, remaining within a home range of up to 0.091 km2 (Villegas-Ríos et al., 2013). This strong site fidelity suggests that even small marine reserves could be effective for protecting local populations. For this reason, in these sites, zoning 170m around relevant protected features (assessed from reported home range by Villegas-Ríos, 2013) will provide additional protection for wrasse. The number of vessels authorised to fish in these relevant sites will be limited and they will be required to carry onboard operational onboard electronic technology that provides high resolution spatial data to the Scottish Government.
3.7 Conclusion
Provided that zoning of wrasse fishing activity is implemented throughout the sites, and vessels authorised to operate there are required to carry onboard electronic technology that provides high resolution spatial data to the Scottish Government, it is possible to ascertain that there is no significant risk of hindering the achievement of the conservation objectives for the assessed sites from the fishing activities subject to this assessment.
3.8 Monitoring and Review
Scottish Ministers will review this assessment as required. A review of this assessment may be in response to updated conservation advice; updated advice on the extent, distribution or condition of the feature; new information on the sensitivity of the feature to pressures arising from activities within the site; or information on changes in fishing activity within the site.
Contact
Email: inshore@gov.scot