Scotland's shellfish water protected area (SWPA) designations - review: consultation
We are consulting on the proposed designations and de-designations of Shellfish Water Protected Area’s (SWPAs), as part of work to meet a statutory obligation. The purpose is to identify areas where it may be appropriate to designate a new SWPA or de-designate an existing SWPA
Closed
This consultation closed 29 September 2025.
View this consultation on consult.gov.scot, including responses once published.
Consultation analysis
4. Review Process
The purpose of the review is to identify areas where it may be appropriate to designate a new SWPA or de-designate (remove) an existing SWPA. The review consists of several steps:
- An initial review using relevant production data.
- Developing proposals for new areas and identifying potential impacts
- Public consultation (this consultation) on proposals and gathering information to quantify the impacts more accurately.
- Considering consultation feedback and finalising an assessment of impacts to inform decisions on SWPA designations.
An important part of the review is the consideration of the consequences of designating and de-designating SWPAs to ensure that any actions are proportionate in terms of cost and wider impacts. Alongside this consultation we have published a partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA)
Contact
Email: waterenvironment@gov.scot