Social Impacts Research for Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features Management in Scottish Waters

1 Introduction

The Scottish Government is developing fisheries management measures for existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) including Nature Conservation MPAs (NCMPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) as well as for the 11 Priority Marine Features (PMFs) most sensitive to bottom contacting mobile fishing gear outside the MPA network. In undertaking this work, Scottish Government has sought to better understand the social values of coastal and island communities that inform their perceptions of changes in the management of the marine environment and how these impact on their lives. The current research was intended to gather this information from local communities and identify issues and concerns. The issues identified will be followed up in the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) which will be presented during public consultation on the proposed management measures.

MPAs^[5] are areas of sea that are designated to ensure the protection of some of the most vulnerable marine animals and habitats (e.g., marine mammals, seabirds and seabed habitats) and geodiversity features. The objective of management within MPAs is to ensure activities occurring within a site do not hinder the achievement of their conservation objectives. This management can restrict some activities, which in turn can affect industries, such as fishing, shipping, renewable energy developments, and oil and gas, which can have both positive and negative economic impacts on different people and businesses.

PMFs are a defined list of habitats and species that are a priority for conservation in Scotland’s seas^[6]. While many of these are protected through the existing network of MPAs, others occur outside of these areas. The Scottish Government is therefore considering the implementation of fisheries measures to manage Scotland’s existing MPA network and to protect the 11 PMFs most sensitive to bottom contacting mobile fishing gear in Scottish inshore waters^[7] (within 6 nautical miles (NM) from shore) outside MPAs. This is so that development and use of the marine environment does not have a significant impact on their national status.

When an activity is due to be prohibited by a Marine Conservation Order (MCO), Scottish Ministers must assess, “the impact or potential impact of the restriction or prohibition within the area protected by the order” and “the impact or potential impact of displacement”^[8]. A Sustainability Appraisal is carried out to assess the overall social, economic and wider environmental impacts. The SEIA is used, alongside with the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), to inform the Sustainability Appraisal. Once developed, these will be consulted upon alongside the proposed fisheries management measures.

The Scottish Government has published guidance for undertaking SEIAs for MPAs in inshore waters (2022)^[9] (hereafter ‘SEIA guidance’) which has been followed in this research, ensuring the inclusion of social and participatory aspects in the development of the SEIA.

Contributions of this social impacts research to the SEIA will include:

• The development of a social and economic profile (Step 5 of the SEIA guidance);
• Scoping of the range of potential social and economic impacts associated with proposals and identifying those that require more detailed assessment (Step 6 of the SEIA guidance);
• Producing the baseline analysis (Step 7 of the SEIA guidance); and
• Analysis of potential impacts of measures, including:
• Economic impacts, such as the types of jobs affected (e.g., part-time), and the role of multiple gear types in supporting income stability; and
• Social impacts, such as identifying the social groups affected, and assessing the potential significance of consequential social impacts.

This social research report will form part of the materials used to develop the formal consultation on the proposed fisheries management measures. The issues raised will be taken into account in the SEIA, particularly regarding potential impacts on fisheries and the resulting social consequences. As part of the finalisation of the SEIA methodology and baseline approach, the issues raised in this social research report will be reviewed to ensure they can be captured in the SEIA process and structure, where relevant. The outcome of this review will be reported to Marine Directorate, and where any issues are not adequately captured in the SEIA process, suggestions will be made for adjustments to the process, and these will be clearly reported in the methodology.