Draft Fisheries Assessment – Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA: Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Executive Summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is the Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area (NCMPA), located to the east of Scotland, adjacent to the offshore limit of UK waters. 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 Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA. The protected features of the site are Ocean Quahog and Offshore subtidal sands and gravels as their supporting habitat and are considered to be in unfavourable 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 demersal trawls and demersal seines. 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, demersal trawls and demersal seines would not hinder the conservation objectives for Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA.

However, when considering management options Scottish Ministers conclude that management measures should be proposed to restrict mobile demersal fishing within Norwegian Boundary Sediment NCMPA. The wider advice and evidence from JNCC show a risk of impact from other demersal gears which do not currently occur in the site. Furthermore, the Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA contains an area which is considered to be least damaged, more natural. It was agreed at stakeholder workshops that areas in the northern part of the NCMPA should be given a higher level of protection to maintain that status and ensure mitigation against any future risk from either increased activity of existing fisheries o potential emerging fishing activities (beam trawls or dredges).

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. Two oil and gas pipelines and one active well head 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 known activities would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA.

Considering Scottish Minsters conclusion of the need for management measures for mobile demersal gear, two management options have been identified and are under consideration:

• Zoned management would reduce/limit pressures within the site. Under this option 41% of the site would be closed to all demersal mobile gears, and 59% of the site would be open to demersal seines but closed to all other demersal mobile gear. Scottish Ministers consider that this management option would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA; rather it would further the achievement of said objectives.
• Full site exclusion of all demersal mobile gear across the whole site. Scottish Ministers consider that this management option would not hinder the conservation objectives for Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain 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.