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

3. Management options

Management measures are being considered by Scottish Ministers and any decision as to which measures ought to be taken forward will follow upon a statutory public consultation exercise. Any such decision will also be taken in line with the Scottish Ministers obligations in relation to the exercise of their functions.

The socioeconomic impacts and costs of management options (no additional management, zoned management, and full site exclusion) have been assessed within the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA), and are not discussed within this Fisheries Assessment. Nor are other considerations, statutory and non-statutory, which the Scottish Ministers may be required to take into account when assessing whether the imposition of a particular measure is appropriate.

This section assesses the suitability of the proposed management options solely in light of the conservation objectives, biological characteristics of protected features, and current activity levels for Hatton Bank SAC.

As there are no fishing activities currently operating within the site and therefore no activity considered to pose a risk to site integrity. Scottish Ministers consider that the current NEAFC fisheries closures in place suitably restrict any fishing activity which could have an adverse impact on site integrity and conclude that that no further fisheries management is required above and beyond these measures.

The decision on any management to be taken forward will be taken in the light of all relevant duties incumbent upon the Scottish Ministers in relation to the exercise of their functions and following upon a statutory public consultation exercise in which views on the options under consideration are invited.