Publication - Advice and guidance
Flapper Skate protection: NatureScot advice to the Scottish Government
This document contains NatureScot's statutory conservation advice to Scottish Ministers regarding the protection of flapper skate eggs in the Inner Sound of Skye. This advice was considered by Ministers and contributed to their decision to designate the Red Rocks and Longay Urgent MPA.
Annex 2 Table of potential risk from activities to flapper skate
This represents an assessment of the vulnerability of egg-laying habitat if it were exposed to activities (occurring or potentially occurring in future). It is not a reflection of the current impact of activities. We don't hold activity information and the assessment is therefore based on NMPi data layers, our knowledge of marine industries and the Inner Sound alongside the sensitivity of flapper skate (the latter is described in Table 1 above).
| Activity | Potential Risk | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Fishing - dredging | Severe | Disturbs seabed and would cause damage to eggs, habitat and any juveniles or adults unable to avoid passing dredge. As noted in previous letter, while we don't currently have detailed understanding of the footprint of dredging in the area, it is likely that the location and intensity will be influenced by the topography of the site - with variable potential for disturbance across the site |
| Fishing - Creels | Moderate/ Low (none for adults) | The capacity for abrasion / direct impact of creels on the eggs is unclear. The nature of abrasion associated with creels is likely to be less severe than from mobile gear, and eggs within crevices would not be in contact with creels/ground lines. Eggs on cobble areas would be more at risk. There are some anecdotal accounts of elasmobranch eggs being seen in/attached to hauled creels, although species identification has not been verified. Flapper skate eggs are not attached to substrates in same way as other skate eggs with tendrils or stickiness - rather they are laid free on the seabed. We would consider the risk to be low, but could be assessed in future should further evidence become available. |
| Fishing – demersal trawling or seine | Severe | Could cause damage to eggs through abrasion, direct mortality and habitat modification and juveniles/adults potentially subject to direct mortality. Juveniles known to be caught as bycatch. |
| Fishing - gill/trammel nets | None (Severe for adults) | No interaction with eggs, but could have significant impact for adults or juveniles through direct mortality/capture. |
| Fishing - pelagic | None | No contact with sea bed, and unlikely to interact with adult or juvenile skate. |
| Marine historic munitions disposal site | Low | Currently site disused, but if reused or area disturbed there is potential for increased siltation and chemical contamination which could smother eggs or cause changes to habitats. Unclear how far egg-laying habitat extends and therefore what overlap there might be. |
| Marine deposit sites/ waste disposal | Moderate | No current activity known but potential for high siltation and smothering if overlap with egg-laying habitat. |
| Aquaculture | Severe | Waste/debris deposition causes increased levels of siltation and chemical contamination (fin fish) and may affect eggs directly by smothering, or cause indirect impacts through changes to habitats. Waste footprint can be ~6-18ha, plus moorings. Previous interest around Scalpay and existing sites in Inner Sound. |
| Marine infrastructure | Severe/ Moderate | May alter preferred habitats and cause siltation/smothering or chemical contamination. Dependent on size and overlap. Note - no previous or current marine renewable interest that we know about. |
| Anchoring (at specified anchorages) | Moderate/Low | May crush / damage eggs and alter habitat, the anchor chain may scour an area of radius 10 m (depending on the size of the vessel) damaging eggs or altering habitat. Dependent on frequency, location, size of anchor/vessels (drag). No specified anchorages in immediate area, with the closest being north of Crowlin Islands. |
| Diver collection of eggs | Low | Touching or moving of eggs may impact development or their secure location in habitat. Removal would have direct impacts. Unlikely to be extensive because of depth of habitat. Some known ongoing genetic research. |
Contact
Email: marine_conservation@gov.scot
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