Draft Fisheries Assessment – West Shetland Shelf NCMPA: Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Executive summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is West Shetland Shelf Nature Conservation MPA (NCMPA) located to the north of Scotland, with water depth of 70 – 150 m deep. The entirety of the site lies within the Scottish offshore region.

The protected feature of the site is offshore subtidal sands and gravels, which is considered to be in Favourable condition. The conservation objective for the MPA is for the sand and gravel feature to remain in favourable condition (JNCC Conservation Advice for West Shetland Shelf NCMPA and Conservation advice statements).

In Part A, fishing activities within the site (data from 2015-2019) were screened and grouped into aggregated gear types. Throughout this draft fisheries assessment the data from 2015-2019 is referred to as the current levels of activity. The gear types considered relevant to the sand and gravel feature were demersal trawls, demersal seines, boat dredges, static traps/creels, and anchored nets/lines. Based on the pressures associated with these fishing activities and the sensitivity of the subtidal sands and gravels feature, five pressures were considered capable of affecting the protected features within the site. These were abrasion/disturbance of the substrate on the surface of the seabed; penetration and/or disturbance of the substrate below the surface of the seabed, including abrasion; changes in suspended solids (water clarity); smothering and siltation rate changes (light); and removal of non-target species. Two pressures were exerted by all three aggregated gear types, three were only associated with mobile demersal gear (trawls, seines and boat dredges). All five pressures were taken through to the Part B of the assessment.

In Part B, the assessment of fishing activities considered capable of affecting the protected features within the site determined that at current fishing levels, static demersal gear (traps/creels/creels and anchored nets/lines) alone would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for West Shetland Shelf NCMPA. However, the achievement of the conservation objectives might be hindered where mobile demersal fishing (demersal trawl, demersal seine, and boat dredge) activities occurred. Scottish Ministers concluded that management measures were required to restrict mobile demersal fishing within West Shetland Shelf NCMPA.

In Part C, the in-combination assessment considered the residual potential impacts of static demersal gear (traps/creels and anchored nets/lines) alongside other relevant offshore region activities happening in and near the site. The only other activity of potential concern was the operation and maintenance of two telecommunications cables crossing the north of the site. Although these cables cross the offshore subtidal sands and gravels feature, the area covered by cables within the site is small, frequency of any disturbance would be low, and spatial overlap with static fishing activities would be very low. Therefore, the Scottish Ministers concluded that demersal static gear (traps/creels and anchored nets/lines), in-combination with other known activities, would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for West Shetland Shelf NCMPA.

Considering the need for management measures for mobile demersal gear, as identified in the assessment, two management options have been identified and are under consideration by the Scottish Ministers:

• Zoned management would exclude boat dredges and beam trawls from all of the site and prohibit all demersal mobile gear from two areas together encompassing 50% of the site. Considering the condition of the subtidal sands and gravels feature was assessed as favourable, boat dredges and beam trawls would be prohibited from the entire site. As the remaining demersal mobile fishing activities generally occur at low levels, Scottish ministers do not consider that the introduction of zonal measures would hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for the West Shetland Shelf NCMPA, rather it would further the achievement of these objectives.
• Full site exclusion of mobile demersal fishing activity would exclude mobile demersal gear from the whole site. Scottish Ministers consider that this management option not hinder the conservation objectives for West Shetland Shelf NCMPA; rather it would further the achievement of them.

The decision as to which management option is to be taken forward will be made following a statutory public consultation exercise and will be taken in the light of all relevant obligations incumbent upon the Scottish Ministers in relation to the exercise of their functions