Draft Fisheries Assessment – North-West Orkney NCMPA: Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Executive Summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is the North-west Orkney NCMPA, located in a shallow area of sea lying to the north and west of the Orkney Isles on the Scottish continental shelf. 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 North-west Orkney NCMPA.

The protected features of the site are sandeel and sandbanks, sand wave fields and sediment wave fields representative of Fair Isle Strait Marine Process Bedforms Key Geodiversity Area. The protected features are considered to be in favourable condition. The conservation objective for the NCMPA is that the protected features so far as already in favourable condition, 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. The gear types considered relevant to the protected features were grouped into the aggregated gear types of pelagic fishing, demersal trawls, seines, boat dredge, set nets/lines and traps (creels). Based on the pressures associated with these fishing activities and the sensitivity of the protected features, the pressures considered capable of impacting 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; removal of 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 impacting the protected features within the site determined that, at current fishing levels, all fishing activity occurring within the site was compatible with the conservation objectives of the site and the achievement of the conservation objectives would not be hindered for North-west Orkney NCMPA. Scottish Ministers concluded that no management measures were required to restrict fishing within North-west Orkney 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. Telecommunication cables overlapped with the site, however these were not deemed to be potential for in-combination effects. Therefore, Scottish Ministers concluded that the remaining fishing activities in-combination with other relevant activities would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for North-west Orkney NCMPA.

Considering the conservation and fisheries management advice from the statutory nature conservation bodies, and the wider evidence contained within this assessment, Scottish Ministers consider that no further management is required to enable progress to be made toward achieving the conservation objectives for the North-west Orkney 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.