Proposed Fisheries Management Measures within Scottish Inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas - Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA)

1. Introduction

The Scottish Government has made a long-term commitment to support the sustainable management of the marine environment. This includes developing and implementing a coherent network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and to protect the 11 Priority Marine Features (PMFs) that are most vulnerable to demersal mobile fishing gear outside of the MPA network. The aim of this policy is to benefit the conservation of vulnerable and characteristic marine species and habitats in Scottish waters.

The proposed fisheries management measures under consideration have been developed using the best available scientific evidence on the risk to designated features and the 11 PMFs identified as being most sensitive to bottom contacting mobile fishing gear. Across all Scottish Marine Regions (SMRs), where options for fisheries management measures have been developed, three management options were considered.

MPAs:

• Option 1 - zonal management measures for specified gears. These measures may be seasonal and there are also measures that only apply to vessels over a certain engine power.
• Option 2 - measures restricting specified fishing gears across the full site for the whole year.
• Option 3 is the ‘Do nothing’ option; this is the baseline scenario. Under this option, there is no change to the management measures already in place or in most cases no management measures at all.

PMF management areas:

Both options propose full area closures to all demersal mobile gear. 44 out of 90 areas have a single management option proposed. Only one option was identified for these 44 proposed PMF management areas due to one of, or combination of, evidence (fishing activity or PMF related), boundary setting principles and compliance considerations.

• 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.

Option 1 and option 2 present different levels of management and are being presented for consultation. Following consultation, they will be considered against the relevant legislative provisions in the light of consultation responses. Option 3, no additional management, is not considered a viable option and will not be presented at consultation as there are legislative drivers for implementing proposed fisheries management measures in Scottish MPAs and a duty to act in accordance with the NMP for the proposed PMF management areas.