Draft Fisheries Assessment – Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt NCMPA: Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Executive Summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt Nature Conservation NCMPA (NCMPA), is located in offshore waters on the Scottish side of the Faroe-Shetland Channel, a large rift basin that separates the Scottish and Faroese continental shelves. The purpose of this assessment is to determine whether the current levels of fishing activity occurring within the site are compatible with the conservation objectives of the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt NCMPA.

The protected features of the site are deep-sea sponge aggregations, offshore subtidal sands and gravels, ocean quahog aggregations, continental slope, continental slope channels, iceberg plough marks, prograding wedges and slide deposits representative of the West Shetland Margin paleo-depositional system Key Geodiversity Area, and sand wave fields and sediment wave fields representative of the West Shetland Margin contourite deposits Key Geodiversity Area.

Within the site, deep-sea sponge aggregations, offshore subtidal sands and gravels, ocean quahog aggregations, continental slop channels and sand wave fields and sediment wave fields are considered to be in unfavourable condition. Continental slope is considered to be in 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 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 protected features 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 features, the following pressures were identified as potentially being capable of affecting the protected features of the site: abrasion/disturbance of the substrate on the surface of the seabed; changes in suspended solids (water clarity); penetration and/or disturbance of the substrate below the surface of the seabed, including abrasion; removal of non-target species, and smothering and siltation rate changes (light). These pressures were taken through to Part B of the assessment.

In Part B, the assessment of fishing activities capable of affecting the protected features within the site determined that, at current fishing levels, the achievement of the conservation objectives might be hindered where demersal trawling occurs and anchored nets/lines activity occurs. Scottish Ministers concluded that management measures were required to restrict demersal mobile and demersal static within the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt NCMPA.

In Part C, the in-combination assessment considered the residual potential impacts of all fishing activity occurring within the site alongside other relevant offshore region activities happening in and near the site. The activities found were two subsea telecommunication cables, two pipelines, seven active and multiple decommissioned well heads and two offshore platforms. These were not deemed to have the potential for in-combination effects. Scottish Ministers concluded that remaining fishing activities in-combination with other known activities would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt NCMPA at current levels of activity.

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 Minsters:

• Zoned management would reduce/limit pressures within the site. This encompasses the exclusion of all demersal mobile gears from the northern section of the site (31%) and excluding all demersal mobile and demersal static gears within the southern section of the site (42%). Scottish Ministers do not consider that the introduction of zonal measures would hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt NCMPA, rather it would further the achievement of said objectives.
• Full site exclusion of demersal mobile and demersal static gear across the whole site. Scottish Ministers consider that this management option would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt 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.