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

Executive summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is the Solan Bank Reef SAC, located approximately 50 km from the Scottish mainland, north of Cape Wrath. The vast majority of the site occurs in the offshore region (12 to 200 nautical miles, nm), with some small portions of the site lying across the 12 nautical mile (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, boat dredges, and static traps. 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 four 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 (traps) alone was compatible with the conservation objectives of the site and will not result in an adverse effect on site integrity for Solan Bank Reef SAC. However, an adverse effect on site integrity could not be ruled out where mobile demersal fishing (demersal trawl, demersal seine, and boat dredge) activities occurred. Scottish Ministers concluded that management measures were required to restrict mobile demersal fishing within Solan Bank Reef SAC.

In Part C, the in-combination assessment considered the residual potential impacts of static demersal gear (traps) 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 (traps), in-combination with other known activities, are compatible with the conservation objectives of the site and will not result in an adverse effect on site integrity of Solan 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 exclude mobile demersal gear from some parts of the site for the whole year and permit demersal trawls and seines within certain parts of the site for two months of the year. Considering the limited time when demersal seines and trawls would be permitted to operate in specific areas of the site, the limited extent of total reef resource exposed to fishing during that time, and that for the remainder of the year the entire site would be protected from mobile demersal gear. Scottish Ministers consider this management option sufficient to avoid an adverse effect on site integrity from mobile demersal fishing activity at current levels. Enhanced activity-based monitoring for the site may be considered to ensure the zoned management measures are sufficient.
• Full site exclusion of mobile demersal fishing activity would exclude mobile demersal gear from the whole site for the full year. Scottish Ministers considers 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.