Draft Fisheries Assessment – West of Scotland NCMPA: Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Executive Summary

The scope of this fisheries assessment is West of Scotland NCMPA located to the west of Scotland, all the former features of Rosemary Banks Seamount NCMPA are now protected within this site. The protected features of the site are burrowed mud (including sea-pens), coral gardens, cold-water coral reefs (including Lophelia pertusa reefs), deep-sea sponge aggregations, offshore deep-sea muds, offshore sands and gravels, seamount communities, blue ling (Molva dypterygia), leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus) / gulper shark (Centrophorus granulosus), orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus), Portuguese dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis), round-nose grenadier (Coryphaenoides rupestris). The conservation objective for the NCMPA is to recover the protected features to ‘Favourable Condition’, except for Blue ling where the conservation objective is to conserve the feature at ‘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 protected features were demersal trawls, demersal seines, anchored nets/lines and pelagic fishing. Based on the pressures associated with these fishing activities and the sensitivity of the protected features, the pressures considered capable of affecting 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; smothering and siltation rate changes (Light); changes in suspended solids (water clarity); removal of non-target species and removal of target species. All six 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, pelagic fishing alone would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for West of Scotland NCMPA. However, the achievement of the conservation objectives might be hindered where demersal trawling, demersal seines and anchored nets/lines fishing activities occurred. Scottish Ministers concluded that management measures were required to restrict mobile demersal and static demersal fishing within West of Scotland NCMPA.

In Part C, the in-combination assessment considered the residual potential impacts of pelagic fishing alongside other relevant offshore region activities happening in and near the site. Active telecommunications cables were present within the site, and these were assessed in combination with the pelagic fishing activity. However, there were found to be no pressures caused by pelagic activities or telecommunications cables that have the potential for in-combination effects. Therefore, Scottish Ministers concluded that the remaining fishing activities (pelagic fishing) in-combination with other relevant activities would not hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives for West of Scotland NCMPA.

Considering the need for management measures for demersal trawls and seines and anchored nets/lines, as identified in the assessment, measures were developed using further evidence and advice from the relevant Statutory Nature Conservation Body (SNCB), Joint Nature and Conservation Committee (JNCC). This advice which was developed using best available evidence outlined the impact from all demersal mobile gears and demersal static gears should they occur within the site. The option identified and under consideration by Scottish Ministers is a full site exclusion of mobile demersal and static demersal gear. Zonal management has not been identified by Scottish Ministers. The full site exclusion option would be considered sufficient to enable progress to be made towards achieving the conservation objectives for West of Scotland NCMPA.

The decision as to the management option 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.