Draft Fisheries Assessment – East Rockall Bank SAC: Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Executive Summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is East Rockall Bank SAC, located along the eastern flank of Rockall Bank, about 320 km west of the Outer Hebrides. The protected features of the site are Annex I Reefs. The conservation objective for the SAC is to restore the feature to ‘Favourable Condition’.

In Part A, fishing activities currently occurring within the site (data from 2015 – 2019) were screened and grouped into aggregated gear types. Throughout the draft fisheries assessment the data from 2015-2019 is referred to as the current levels of activity. The gear types considered relevant to the Annex I reef feature were grouped into the aggregated gear types of demersal trawls, demersal seines and anchored nets/lines. Based on the pressures associated with these fishing activities and the sensitivity of the protected reef feature, the potential for likely significant effects was identified for the pressures of 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; smothering and siltation rate changes (light); removal of non-target species and removal of target species. These pressures were exerted were taken through to Part B of the assessment.

In Part B, the assessment of fishing activities with the potential for likely significant effects within the site determined that, at current fishing levels, an adverse effect on site integrity could not be ruled out where demersal trawling and demersal seine activities occurred. Scottish Ministers concluded that management measures were required to restrict demersal trawling and demersal seines within East Rockall Bank SAC.

In Part C, the in-combination assessment considered the residual potential impacts of anchored nets/lines alongside other relevant offshore activities happening in and near the site. As there was an absence of other activities occurring within the site that had the potential for likely significant effects, the assessment did not identify any in-combination activities that could adversely affect the site integrity of East Rockall Bank SAC.

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

• Zoned management would reduce/limit pressures within the site, through a partial closure to demersal mobile gear and a full closure to mobile and static demersal gear over areas of known cold-water coral reef. This zoned management option would therefore remove/avoid pressures from all demersal mobile and static gear across the full extent of the biogenic reef feature. It would also reduce/limit pressures from demersal mobile gear on the bedrock and stony reef. This approach would reduce the risk of adverse effect to site integrity. Under this option, it is possible that the remaining areas where demersal mobile and static gear fishing are permitted may include some areas where the distribution of reef is unknown or uncertain, and some very small areas of known reef. There would therefore be a low risk of small-scale localised impact to the structure and function of reef communities in these areas. Scottish Ministers consider this management option to be sufficient to prevent an adverse effect on site integrity from fishing activity at current levels.
• Full site exclusion of all demersal mobile gear (static and mobile) activity would reduce the risk adverse effect to site integrity, increasing the likelihood of restoring the reef to favourable condition. Scottish Ministers consider that this management option would avoid an adverse effect on site integrity from fishing activities.

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.