Proposed Fisheries Management Measures for Inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas – Consultation Paper

4. Proposed Fisheries Management Measures

Since 2017, Scottish Government and NatureScot have worked together to develop the options for proposed fisheries management measures. This led to a prioritisation process and a series of meetings, workshops, and local engagement sessions held between 2018 and 2022, including targeted fisheries engagement to refine management options. These efforts were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed with renewed focus on participatory methods, culminating in a sustainability appraisal and social impact research. The approach reflects the Scottish Governments commitment to collaborative marine stewardship, ensuring that conservation objectives are met while supporting the resilience of coastal communities and fishing industries

As part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to safeguarding marine biodiversity, two fisheries management options have been developed, where possible, for consultation. These are to support the conservation objectives and policy aims outlined in the NMP for inshore MPAs and proposed PMF management areas. In some cases a single management option has been developed for the sites and areas based on the advice of NatureScot and distribution of protected features.

For MPAs:

• Option 1: Zonal restrictions on the use of specified gear identified as requiring management. These measures may be seasonal and there are also measures that only apply to vessels over a certain engine power.
• Option 2: Restrictions on the use of specified gear identified as requiring management from the full designated site.

Option 1 represents, where possible, zonal restrictions. This targeted method is designed to provide sufficient environmental protection whilst allowing sustainable use. These proposed fisheries management measures that have been informed with the best available evidence and advice from the appropriate Statutory Nature Conservation Body and developed with the input from stakeholders.

Option 2 is a whole-site management approach, which would apply restrictions across the entire MPA. This comprehensive strategy is intended to provide stronger protection for marine ecosystems, ensuring the recovery and long-term resilience of vulnerable habitats and species.

In Option 2 where gear restrictions are applied to the whole site, these will not be applied to the whole of overlapping sites. They will only apply to the part of the site where the overlap is. E.g. if a site has a tiny overlap from another site with mechanical dredge restrictions there will not be full site closure to that site for mechanical dredge.

Proposed PMF management areas do not have zonal restrictions. If there are two options for an area the difference between option 1 and option 2 will be spatial area size. All proposed PMF management areas are full area closures to bottom contacting, demersal mobile gear.

For PMFs:

• Option 1: reflects a smaller footprint that reflects one, or a combination of evidence (fishing activity or PMF related), boundary setting principles and compliance considerations
• Option 2: reflects a larger footprint that offers improved protection

Both options are being presented for public consultation to gather views from stakeholders, including coastal communities, fishers, environmental organisations, and the wider public. The feedback will help shape final decisions on how best to implement effective and proportionate management measures across Scotland’s MPA network and key biodiversity locations.

The management proposals for the inshore MPAs overlap in some cases which adds complexity to the consultation. In the SEIA, SEA and SA these are set out on a site-by-site to reduce this complexity and allow individual sites to be considered. However these were considered together, and any overlapping measures were discounted to avoid double counting in terms of impacts and benefits.

In the consultation documentation and in the consultation platform. The options are set out to include overlapping measures from other sites for static gear due to these gear types having the most overlap with other sites. This is to ensure consultees can see and understand the impact of overlapping sites. These are set out in the text and shown on the maps for Option 1.

If there are also overlaps with demersal gear measures, these are outlined in the body of text for each site and not on the maps in the High Level Site and Area Summary, Site and Area Proposal documents and on the consultation platform. Vice versa for MPAs with only demersal measures, static gear overlaps are outlined in the body of text. Any overlapping sites or areas are highlighted for each MPA and proposed PMF management area. This has been done to reduce the complexity in the maps and make sure they are understandable. When we are seeking views on Option 1, that includes views on all the overlapping measures whether shown on the maps and/or outlined in the body of the text.

For 53 sites, two options for fisheries management are presented within this consultation. These two options present different levels of management and will be considered against the relevant legislative provisions in the light of consultation responses. Fishing gear requiring management is identified from advice and evidence provided by NatureScot, which is available for each site and can be access through the NatureScot website: Sitelink.

For the remaining 23 sites, a full site restriction on gears requiring management was deemed to be the only option suitable to achieve the desired level of protection of the features, so only one option is presented for those sites.

Of the 90 proposed PMF management areas 46 have two options proposed. Only one management option is presented for 44 of the proposed PMF management areas. Only one option was identified due to one of, or combination of, evidence (fishing activity or PMF related), boundary setting principles and compliance considerations.

As highlighted in the introduction, SSMO has the ability to impose restrictions on the dredging or catching and removal of the prescribed species within the whole or any specified part of the fishery within Shetland’s six-mile coastal limit with the consent of Scottish Ministers. On the outcome of the consultation Scottish Ministers will work with SSMO to put in place appropriate measures for the shellfish fishery. SSMO are expected to integrate best available science and data, consult with statutory bodies like NatureScot and get consent from Ministers when setting regulation.

The proposed options to be consulted on for each of the 166 sites and areas, including maps, are available in the High Level Site and Area Summary and the Site and Area Proposal documents in the supporting documents of the consultation as well as on the consultation platform.