Proposal to designate Red Rocks and Longay as a Marine Protected Area: consultation

Management Advice

NatureScot has produced a Conservation and Management Advice document (CMA) for the Red Rocks and Longay MPA to outline the conservation objectives and their management advice. They have used a risk-based approach by considering flapper skate and the proposed protected geodiversity feature, their conservation objectives, and the activities which could affect their condition.

The CMA determines that the proposed protected features, flapper skate and Quaternary of Scotland, are in favourable condition and provides advice to support the management of activities that are considered capable of affecting these. The CMA proposes no management measures for the Quaternary of Scotland geodiversity feature.

Nature Scot's advice lists activities considered capable of affecting flapper skate where pressures should be removed or avoided which are summarised below. As the geodiversity feature is closely associated with the flapper skate egg-laying habitat, advice on activities is not considered separately. Please see the CMA for further details:

• Aquaculture;
• Anchorage and moorings;
• Cables and pipelines;
• Coastal development e.g. construction of piers, slipways, jetties etc.;
• Fishing - demersal mobile/active gear;
• Fishing - static gear (gill/trammel nets);
• Fishing – recreational; and
• Marine deposit sites.

Activities considered capable of affecting flapper skate where pressures should be reduced or limited are:

• Fishing – Static gear (Creeling);
• Military - planned exercises;
• Scientific survey/research (incl. scientific diving/citizen science); and
• Seismic and other broadscale acoustic surveys.

Activities that are considered not likely to affect flapper skate (other than insignificantly).

• Commercial hand diving for scallops or other species (where eggs are not handled); and
• Recreational diving (where eggs are not handled).

NatureScot's CMA is also informed by their MPA Fisheries Guidance Note – Flapper skate, which is included in this consultation.