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

Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment

Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments (BRIAs) look at the likely costs, benefits and risks of any proposed primary or secondary legislation. They also cover voluntary regulation, codes of practice, guidance, or policy changes that may have an impact on the public, private or third sector. A partial BRIA has been completed to consider the likely impacts of the proposals. The BRIA for the site will be finalised following the public consultation.

Evidence in the partial BRIA in relation to the proposed designation and management measures is drawn from the work of statutory nature conservation body NatureScot including assessments on previous MPAs and the most recent management advice for this site. This has been updated as required. It brings together the science-led arguments for management and the projected potential social and economic consequences of such action. This BRIA examines the socio-economic effects of designating the Red Rocks and Longay MPA and introducing management measures through the associated MCO. The appraisal period for assessing the socio-economic impacts covers the period from 2022 to 2041, although benefits will be delivered for longer if effective management measures remain in force.

The sectors and groups affected have been identified as:

• Commercial fisheries; and
• Tourism, recreational fishing and recreational diving.

The annual value of commercial fisheries within the MPA over the last 5 years is £69,000. If the site is designated the quantified costs for 2022-2041 to commercial fisheries and public sector is estimated to be in the region of £1.29-1.32 million. Total change to Gross Value Added (GVA) to commercial fisheries for 2022-2041 if the site is designated is estimated to be £0.511 million and direct reduction of employment if the site is designated is estimated to be 0.6 full time employment jobs. This reduction of employment estimate is a worst case scenario with vessels likely to react to any management measures in place in order to maintain profitability such as changing species/gear type.

Total non-quantifiable costs for tourism, recreational fishing and diving cannot be estimated but there would be an expected loss of ecosystem benefits for these activities in the MPA if prohibited. Total non-quantifiable costs for commercial fisheries if the site was designated cannot be estimated but displacement effects including conflict with other fishing vessels, environmental impacts in targeting new areas, longer steaming times and increased fuel costs, changes in costs and earnings, gear development and adaptation costs, and additional quota costs may occur.

Table 1 illustrates how the protected features of Red Rocks and Longay MPA contribute to benefits for people. Non-use value of the natural environment is the benefit people get simply from being aware of a diverse and sustainable marine environment even if they do not themselves 'use it'.

It is estimated that effective management of Red Rocks and Longay MPA may provide wider benefits over and above these non-use values society places on a healthy and productive marine environment. The management measures are likely to support continued egg laying by flapper skate that depend on boulder substrate located within the site as nursery habitats.

This is a summary of the BRIA. See the partial BRIA that accompanies this consultation for full details.