Draft Fisheries Assessment – Hatton-Rockall Basin NCMPA: Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Executive Summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is the Hatton-Rockall Basin NCMPA, located in a deep-water basin to the far west of Scotland. 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 Hatton Rockall Basin NCMPA.

The protected features of the site are offshore deep-sea muds, deep-sea sponge aggregations and sediment drifts and polygonal faults representative of Hatton Bank (and adjacent sea floor) key geodiversity area. The conservation objective for the NCMPA is that the protected features so far as already in favourable condition, remain in such condition; and so far as not already in favourable condition, be brought into such condition and remain in such 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. Fishing activity which occurs within the site was derived using vessel monitoring system (VMS) data from 2015 – 2019. No fishing activity was found to occur within the site and thus no pressure-feature interactions were identified and was not taken forward for further assessment. As no fisheries activity with the potential to have a likely significant effect on the protected feature, or an adverse effect on site integrity were identified, no further fisheries management options were considered.

The NEAFC Recommendation 19 : 2014 on area management measures for the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the NEAFC Regulatory Area, as amended, requires that any new fishing activity would require an environmental assessment to show damage would not be caused to Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), which in this case constitutes one of the protected features of the site: deep-sea sponge aggregations. Under the same recommendation an area in the north of Hatton-Rockall Basin NCMPA is also closed to bottom fisheries to protect VMEs, namely deep-sea sponge aggregations.

Further restrictions under The Common Fisheries Policy and Animals (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 Statutory Instrument (S.I.) 2019, No. 1312 (amending S.I. 2019, No. 753) prohibit the use of bottom-set gillnets, entangling nets, and trammel nets at depths greater than 200 meters.

Considering the management already within the site and there are no fishing activities occurring which are deemed to be capable of affecting the protected features of the site. Scottish Ministers conclude that no further management is required to enable progress to be made towards achieving the conservation objectives for Hatton Rockall Basin NCMPA.

The decision of any management 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.