Sandeel fishing: consultation

1. Introduction

The seas around Scotland have a wide variety of marine wildlife and varied habitats and support a diverse abundance of marine organisms. Sandeel form a particularly important component of the North Sea ecosystem and a link between different levels of the marine food chain^[1] from plankton up to commercial fish species, seabirds, and marine mammals. As an island-based society, the sea around Scotland has always had an important role to play, offering a source of food and recreation.

The Scottish Government has national and international commitments to protect marine biodiversity, and to take necessary measures to protect and conserve the marine ecosystem. The Scottish Government is also committed to the sustainable management of fisheries, which includes taking account of the protection of biodiversity and healthy functioning ecosystems.

The Scottish Government has made the commitment under the Future Fisheries Management Strategy to work with stakeholders to deliver an ecosystem-based approach to management, including considering additional protections for spawning and juvenile congregation areas and restricting fishing activity or prohibiting fishing for species which are integral components of the marine food web, such as sandeel^[2].

Marine protection needs to evolve to protect our marine ecosystem and manage activities that can impact on our ecosystem functions which are already responding to climate change.

Taking this into account, and following the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands announcement in May 2023, the Scottish Government is now consulting on proposals to close fishing for sandeel in all Scottish waters. The consultation, which will seek views on these proposals, is being undertaken with the purpose of bringing about wider environmental and ecosystem benefits. These include potential benefits to sandeel, seabirds, marine mammals, and other fish species.

To inform this consultation a complementary document "Review of Scientific Evidence on the Potential Effects of Sandeel Fisheries Management on the Marine Environment" was produced by the Science, Evidence, Data and Digital Portfolio, Marine Directorate, Scottish Government. This report can be found along other supporting documents to this consultation.

1.1 Desired aims of the consultation

This document sets out the key issues that need to be considered in determining whether to close fishing for sandeel in all Scottish waters, subject to views received in response to this consultation. The Scottish Government wishes to consult on proposals to close fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters that meet as far as possible the following aims:

a) To seek effective protection of sandeel, as a contribution to the wider marine ecosystem.

b) To provide the opportunity for wider ecosystem benefits to a range of species, including commercial fish species, seabirds and marine mammals, that will also improve resilience to changes in the marine environment.

c) To complement, as far as possible, existing sandeel management measures.