West Shetland Shelf Marine Protected Area (MPA) communication: EIR release

Information requested

You asked for all communication between Marine Scotland, Scottish Ministers, Scottish Ministerial Offices and the JNCC regarding the West Shetland Shelf MPA, relating to the site’s ability to achieve its conservation objectives or activities which may have an impact on the site (regardless of whether this concluded impact was insignificant or note), from the site’s designation to the present day. You also requested any communication or information relating to West Shetland Shelf MPA made in line with sections 125(3), 125(5), 126(2) and 127 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

Some of the information you have requested is available from the Scottish Government and JNCC websites (see details below). 

• Information to support the draft fisheries management proposals for North Western Waters, including West Shetland Shelf MPA is available on the Scottish Government website(1).
• JNCC feedback on iterations of proposed fisheries management measures, including West Shetland Shelf MPA is available on the Scottish Government website(2).
• A note of a workshop with EU Member States and North Western Waters Advisory Council held in October 2016 is available on the Scottish Government website(3).
• The West Shetland Shelf MPA Conservation Advice package is available on the JNCC website(4).
• The JNCC Management Options Paper for West Shetland Shelf MPA is available on the JNCC website(5).
• The JNCC Fisheries Management Options Paper for West Shetland Shelf MPA is available on the JNCC website(6).

(1) https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00516438.pdf
(2) https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00516425.pdf
(3) https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00510918.pdf
(4) http://archive.jncc.gov.uk/page-6491
(5) http://archive.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/West_Shetland_Shelf_Management_Options_Paper_v4_0.pdf
(6) http://archive.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/Fisheries%20Options%20Paper_West%20Shetland%20Shelf%20201502275.pdf

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exception(s) under regulation(s) 11(2) (personal data) of the EIRs applies to that information. The reasons why that exception(s) applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.

Reasons for not providing information - Annex
An exception applies

An exception under regulation 11(2) of the EIRs (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exception is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI-19-01880 - Information Released

File type

7 page PDF

File size

1.9 MB