Fisheries management measures within Scottish Offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): consultation analysis

Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC

Overview

Overall, most responses to this question indicate support for Option 2 for the Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC. This is significantly influenced by responses from the Oceana and SE Link campaigns which support these measures while responses from the SWFPA campaign prefer Option 1.

It should be noted that the majority of organisational responses (65%) and non-campaign responses (64%) supported Option 1 for this site.

Support for Option 2 (full site) measures

The vast majority of responses expressed strong support for Option 2. It was felt that the full site prohibition of demersal gear is essential in protecting both detected and undetected reefs in this area. Many noted that the overall condition of Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC site is ‘unfavourable’ and therefore advocated for a precautionary approach in ensuring that there are no further damaging activities and restoring the features to favourable conservation status.

It was felt that, under Option 1, the areas of greatest fishing intensity in the central and southern part of the site would have no trawling restrictions, and there would be no buffer zone for the reef’s protected features. Indeed, one respondent emphasised the extent of damaging bottom trawling in the Wyville-Thomson Ridge, stating that:

“around 250 hrs of apparent bottom trawling took place in this MPA in 2023 alone, placing it in the top ten most trawled offshore sites in Scottish waters for that year” [Organisation].

They noted that the approach in other fisheries management measure scenarios, such as East-Rockall Bank, is that zonal closures to static gears around known occurrences of biogenic reef are a minimum. Looking to the Wyville-Thompson Ridge SAC, some believed that, since “no zonal static gear closures are presented in Option 1, the only way of achieving coverage of these areas is via Option 2” [Individual].

Potential ecological benefits of full site protection

There were some suggestions that a full site approach should be taken as a precaution until the occurrence of live Lophelia pertusa colonies, potential biogenic reef or other vulnerable marine ecosystems within the SAC can be confirmed:

“It is also worth noting that JNCC conducted a monitoring survey within the Wyville-Thompson Ridge SAC during the summer of this year (2024). I recommend any management decisions wait until the analysis of this data in case the survey confirms and presence or absence of biogenic reef or any VME [vulnerable marine ecosystems] within the SA” – [Individual]

Consideration of Option 1

Despite general support for the full site closure (Option 2), many of those in support of Option 1 noted that the zonal fisheries management measures proposed for the Wyville-Thompson Ridge SAC were developed as part of a lengthy and meaningful stakeholder engagement process and should be respected.

Several respondents noted that, while no static gear interests were consulted, the zonal measures presented in Option 1 were supported subject to the proposed closure to static demersal gears in the area identified as VMEs [vulnerable marine ecosystems].

Some respondents wrote that “Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC, overlapping part of the Special Area which divides jurisdiction between the UK, the government of the Faroe Islands and the Kingdom of Denmark, is subject to management measures that do not apply to all vessels” [Organisation].

They noted that measures implemented by Scottish Ministers in the areas of overlap would not apply to vessels which are exclusively Faroe Islands-regulated and “this measure therefore applies not only to Faroese vessels, but also to Norwegian and other vessels sailing under the Faroese flag”. These respondents found this measure unfair, asserting that “the management measures put in place to achieve conservation objectives within these MPAs are irrelevant if they are not applied to all vessels fishing in the area, regardless of the flag they sail under” [Organisation].

Respondents from the French fishing industry also expressed that restricting access to these areas could have major socio-economic consequences:

“Whether in option 1 or 2, the production of certain French longliners in this area is between 7 and 152 tonnes per year per vessel, representing an annual value of between €30k and €579k. Furthermore, in terms of value, the percentage produced in this area per vessel per year is between 1% and 32% of the total value produced” - [Organisation].

Summary

There is overwhelming support for Option 2, in order to restore the features of the Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC to favourable conservation status. It was felt that Option 2 would form an important buffer zone for the reef’s protected features, particularly given the high levels of fishing intensity in the central and southern part of the site. There also suggestions that a full site approach would be a useful precautionary measure until the occurrence of specific vulnerable marine ecosystems within the SAC can be confirmed

Despite this general support for the full site closure (Option 2), many of those in support of Option 1 pointed to previous stakeholder discussions. Some stakeholders perceived the measures to be unfair and expressed concerns around the socio-economic impact of restricting access to these areas.