Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - fisheries management measures: fisheries assessment – West of Scotland NCMPA

4. Part C Assessment – In combination assessment

4.1 In combination assessment overview

Part C of this considers the cumulative impacts, which may occur over space and time, in relation activities occurring within the MPA. Activities assessed in this section include the following:

• fishing activity/pressure combinations which were excluded in Part A of this assessment as not being capable of impacting the feature
• fishing interactions assessed in Part B that would not hinder the conservation objectives for the site
• activities occurring within West of Scotland NCMPA that are not related to fishing

Fishing activities including demersal trawls, demersal seines and anchored nets/lines have been identified in Part B as requiring management and will therefore not be considered in Part C. Pelagic fishing however was not considered to have a significant effect on their own and is assessed in combination with other activities occurring at the site in Part C.

4.2 Other offshore region activities screening

To determine activities, not related to fishing activities, to be included within this part of the assessment, a distance of 5km was selected as suitable to capture any potential source receptor pathways that could impact the site in combination with effects of the fishing activities assessed. A 5km buffer was therefore applied to the site boundary to identify relevant activities.

Activities not related to fishing activities were identified using the Scottish Government’s marine mapping tool. The JNCC Conservation Advice package, and other resources on the JNCC Site Information Centre for West of Scotland MPA, were also screened for activities occurring in the site that should be considered in the in-combination assessment.

The map to display offshore region activities (see Figure 7) was derived from OceanWise’s Marine Themes Vector data (July 2023 version), Crown Estate Scotland leases (September 2023 version), Kingfisher Information Services Offshore Renewable Cable Awareness (KIS-ORCA, as of December 2023 held under licence) and North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA, as of December 2023, data held under Oil and Gas Authority open licence). The Marine Themes “Industrial” was filtered to show offshore region platforms, wellheads, piles, turbines, cables, and pipelines. Features marked as “not in use”, “not present”, “decommissioned”, or “removed” were excluded. The “Administrative” data were filtered to only show military exercise areas which included danger areas.

4.3 Other offshore region activities occurring within West of Scotland NCMPA

The screening exercise using the Scottish Government’s marine mapping tool identified the presence of cables and wellheads within the site, and a military danger area overlapping a large proportion of the site (see Figure 7). Table 6 provides a list of the relevant activities, including cable, wellheads and military activity which were considered in combination with the fishing activities occurring within West of Scotland NCMPA.

The Activities and Management section of the JNCC Site Information Centre for West of Scotland did not indicate any other activities occurring within the site.

Table 6. Activities considered in combination with fishing activities in West of Scotland NCMPA.

Relevant activity: Oil and gas infrastructure (wellheads)

Description: A number of wellheads are located within the north east corner of the MPA, however these are all suspended or decommissioned.

Relevant activity: Telecommunication cables

Description: Five telecommunications cables run through the site, and these are a mixture of both active, proposed and inactive cables.

Relevant activity: Military danger areas

Description: A large proportion of the site overlaps a military danger area, including that associated with Military of Defence practice areas. This is a surface or firing danger area, including for torpedo exercise.

4.4 Potential pressures exerted by fishing and other activities

To identify the specific pressures that the activities exert on the West of Scotland NCMPA features, the JNCC Marine Pressures-Activities Database (PAD) v1.5 2022 was used (Table 7).

Table 7 shows that there are no pressures caused by pelagic activities or telecommunications cables that have the potential for in-combination effects. Table 7 details the pressures exerted by the telecommunication cables activities (Y- pressure exerted, N- pressure not exerted) and the associated risk profile, as taken from the JNCC Pressures Activities Database (PAD) v1.5.

Neither of the activities undertaken within the military dangers area (surface or firing danger area) and the activities of the suspended or decommissioned oil and gas infrastructure (wellheads) were likely to have pressures of concern that could overlap with those exerted by pelagic fishing and to which the protected features of the site is sensitive.

It is only those pressures that are associated with the fishing activities (not assessed in Part B) and the other relevant activities, that have been discussed below. Any pressures that are only associated with the relevant activities, and not the fishing activities, are not within the scope of this assessment.

Table 7: Pressures exerted by pelagic fishing and non-fishing related activities occurring in West of Scotland NCMPA (telecommunications cables). Activity-pressure relationships, and associated risk profile, are taken from the JNCC Pressures-Activities database v1.5. Only the non-fishing pressures that are medium-high risk and are similarly exerted by pelagic fishing with medium-high risk will be assessed further - these are highlighted in red (Y - pressure exerted, N- pressure not exerted).

PAD Pressure: Above water noise

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Abrasion/disturbance of the substrate on the surface of the seabed

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y - Medium-high

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y - Medium-high

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y - Medium-high

PAD Pressure: Barrier to species movement

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: N

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: N

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: N

PAD Pressure: Changes in suspended solids (water clarity)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Collision ABOVE water with static or moving objects not naturally found in the marine environment (e.g., boats, machinery, and structures)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Collision BELOW water with static or moving objects not naturally found in the marine environment (e.g., boats, machinery, and structures)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Deoxygenation

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: N

PAD Pressure: Habitat structure changes - removal of substratum (extraction)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: N

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: N

PAD Pressure: Hydrocarbon and PAH contamination. Includes those priority substances listed in Annex II of Directive 2008/105/EC.

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Introduction of light

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Introduction or spread of invasive non-indigenous species (INIS)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: N

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Litter

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Nutrient enrichment

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: N

PAD Pressure: Organic enrichment

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: N

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: N

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: N

PAD Pressure: Penetration and/or disturbance of the substrate below the surface of the seabed, including abrasion

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y - Medium-high

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y - Medium-high

PAD Pressure: Physical change (to another seabed type)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y - Medium-high

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Physical change (to another sediment type)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Removal of non-target species

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y - Medium-high

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: N

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: N

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: N

PAD Pressure: Removal of target species

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y - Medium-high

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: N

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: N

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: N

PAD Pressure: Smothering and siltation rate changes (Light)

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: N

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: N

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Synthetic compound contamination (incl. pesticides, antifoulants, pharmaceuticals). Includes those priority substances listed in Annex II of Directive 2008/105/EC.

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Transition elements and organo-metal (e.g. TBT) contamination. Includes those priority substances listed in Annex II of Directive 2008/105/EC.

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Underwater noise changes

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Vibration

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Visual disturbance

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

PAD Pressure: Water flow (tidal current) changes, including sediment transport considerations

Fishing activity – Pelagic Fishing: N

Telecommunications cables – Decommissioning: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Laying, burial and protection: Y- Low risk

Telecommunications cables – Operation and maintenance: Y- Low risk

4.5 Part C Conclusion

Scottish Ministers conclude that the remaining fishing activities (pelagic fishing) in-combination with other relevant activities will not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for West of Scotland NCMPA.