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

Executive summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is the Pobie Bank Reef SAC, located in the North Sea approximately 20 km east of Shetland, Scotland. The Pobie Bank Reef SAC occurs in the offshore region (12 to 200 nautical miles, nm) and lies across the 12 nm territorial sea limit.

The protected features of the site are the Annex I reef sub-types 'bedrock' and 'stony' reef. The conservation objective for the SAC is to, subject to natural change, maintain or restore the reef in/to 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 Annex I reef feature were demersal trawls, demersal seines, and static anchored nets/lines. Based on the pressures associated with these fishing activities and the sensitivity of the reef feature, the potential for likely significant effects was identified for the pressures of abrasion/disturbance of the substrate on the surface of the seabed, and removal of non-target species. These pressures were found to be exerted by all three aggregated gear types and were taken through to Part B of the assessment.

In Part B, the assessment of fishing activities with the potential for likely significant effects within the site determined that, at current fishing levels, static demersal gear (anchored nets/lines) alone was compatible with the conservation objectives of the site and will not result in an adverse effect on site integrity for Pobie Bank Reef SAC. However, an adverse effect on site integrity could not be ruled out where mobile demersal fishing (demersal trawl and demersal seine) activities occurred. Scottish Ministers concluded that management measures are required to restrict mobile demersal fishing within Pobie Bank Reef SAC.

In Part C, the in-combination assessment considered the residual potential impacts of static demersal gear (anchored nets/lines) alongside other relevant offshore region activities happening in and near the site. There was no potential for likely significant effects from other relevant offshore region activities. Therefore, Scottish Ministers concluded that demersal static gear (anchored nets/lines), in-combination with other known activities, are compatible with the conservation objectives of the site at current activity levels and will not result in an adverse effect on site integrity of Pobie Bank Reef SAC.

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 Scottish Ministers:

• Zoned management would excluding mobile demersal gear from almost all of the site, covering most of the reef feature (99%) within the site. Considering the very limited extent of the reef feature (1%) that has the potential to be exposed to mobile demersal gear. Scottish Ministers consider this management option to be sufficient to avoid an adverse effect on site integrity from mobile demersal fishing activity at current activity levels.
• Full site exclusion of mobile demersal fishing activity would exclude mobile demersal gear from the whole site for the full year. Scottish Ministers consider that this management option would avoid an adverse effect on site integrity from fishing activities using mobile demersal gears.

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