Assessing fisheries displacement by other licensed marine activities: good practice guidance - literature review

5 Information sources and approach to literature review

An internet search for documentation relevant to the Good Practice Guidance was conducted between February and April 2021 using internet search engines such as Google and Google Scholar, as well as the Marine Scotland and Planning Inspectorate websites^[7]. The literature sources which are relevant to fisheries displacement and assessment methodologies for MRE developments comprise the majority of the search. However, literature sources relevant to fisheries effort displacement associated with other marine licenced activities, MPAs or fisheries management measures were also included within the review.

Some limitations to obtaining relevant information were highlighted as part of this review process which included the following:

• Accessibility issues to technical reports and fisheries data, for example due to the necessary protections of personal or commercially sensitive information;
• Limited data providing coverage by fishing method on a UK-wide scale which is relevant to all fishing vessels (<10 m and >10 m vessels);
• No reliable data on fishing activity by vessels <10 m in length at a scale of less than one ICES rectangle;
• A paucity of published information on the impact of commercial fisheries displacement on the fishing industry, with a focus on the relationship between the displaced fishing activity on the environment the activity has been located to; and
• Language barriers for non-UK data and research.

Further limitations and areas of recommended further research are detailed within the knowledge gap analysis (Section 9).

The information sources have been distinguished into the categories which are provided in Table 5.1. Each information source was documented and subsequently reviewed to identify key considerations for the Good Practice Guidance, with consideration of feedback received during stakeholder consultation meetings (Section 8).