Shellfish Water Protected Areas: consultation analysis

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose

This document summarises the consultation responses received and sets out the Scottish Government’s response to the consultation: A review of Scotland's Shellfish Water Protected Area Designations.

1.2 Background

Shellfish production is an important industry in Scotland. Scotland has an international reputation for excellent shellfish, and the shellfish farming sector contributes to this reputation and is a key component of our marine economy.

SWPAs are designated zones aimed at safeguarding shellfish waters from pollution, to support the sustainable development of economically significant shellfish production.

Following designations made in 2013 and 2016, there are now 85 SWPAs designated in Scotland. Industry developments have resulted in changes to production areas both within and beyond SWPAs. Scottish Ministers have a duty to review designations to consider if current designations remain adequate and identify where changes to designations may be appropriate.

An initial review of designations was undertaken using the same criteria, outlined in the consultation document^[1], as previous reviews. This identified several potential changes to the designations, which were:

• 14 new designations
• 1 expansion
• 29 de-designations

The consultation ran from 7 July to 29 September 2025 and sought views on the proposed designations and de-designations to ensure that SWPAs continue to support the sustainable development of economically significant shellfish production.