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Publication - Advice and guidance

Offshore Marine Protected Areas - fisheries management measures: supporting guidance on coordinates and restrictions:

Published
1 September 2025
From
Director of Marine
Directorate
Marine Directorate
Topic
Environment and climate change, Marine and fisheries
ISBN
9781806430871

Detailed guidance on site-specific fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas, including restricted gear types, gear codes, and precise area coordinates, to support compliance and promote sustainable use of marine resources in designated protected zones.

Part of

View supporting documents Supporting documents

Braemar Pockmarks SAC

Location: ICES area 4a

Measures: Demersal mobile and demersal static gear prohibited from full site

Gear types subject to restrictions

Demersal Mobile Gear:

  • Bottom trawl: OTB, OTT, PTB, TBN, TBS, and TB
  • Beam trawl: TBB
  • Seines: SDN, SSC, SPR, SX, and SV
  • Dredge (boat and mechanised): DRB and HMD

Demersal Static Gear

  • Pots, traps, or creels: FIX and FPO
  • Floated demersal longlines: LL, LLS, and LX
  • Set or static nets: GN, GNC, GNS, GTN, and GTR

All listed gear types are prohibited site-wide

Figure 3: Map of Braemar Pockmarks SAC showing the site boundary with pockmarks and submarine gas leakage structures inside. Demersal mobile and static fishing gear is prohibited throughout the entire site. An inset shows the location off northeast Scotland.
This map shows the Braemar Pockmarks SAC off the northeast coast of Scotland. The protected area is outlined and shaded to indicate the site boundary. Fishing with demersal gear, both mobile and static types, is prohibited throughout the entire site.

Braemar Pockmarks Site boundary (Demersal mobile and demersal static gear prohibited)

Boundary Line Set of co-ordinates of points which the boundary line joins Topographic description of boundary line
1. A to B Loxodrome
2. B to C Loxodrome
3. C to D Loxodrome
4. D to E Loxodrome
5. E to F Loxodrome
7. F to G Loxodrome
8. G to H Loxodrome
9. H to I Loxodrome
10. I to J Loxodrome
11. J to K Loxodrome
12. K to M Loxodrome
13. M to A Loxodrome

Where—

"A" is 58° 57.517' N, 001° 26.250' E,

"B" is 58° 58.283' N, 001° 26.033' E,

"C" is 58° 59.200' N, 001° 27.817' E,

"D" is 58° 59.667' N, 001° 27.217' E,

"E" is 59° 00.233' N, 001° 28.500' E,

"F" is 59° 00.767' N, 001° 30.333' E,

"G" is 59° 00.483' N, 001° 30.850' E,

"H" is 59° 00.067' N, 001° 30.950' E,

"I" is 58° 59.333' N, 001° 30.350' E,

"J" is 58° 59.133' N, 001° 29.150' E,

"K" is 58° 58.000' N, 001° 27.000' E,

"L" is 58° 57.600' N, 001° 28.350' E, and

"M" is 58° 57.283' N, 001° 27.983' E,

Contact

Email: Marine_biodiversity@gov.scot

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