Scottish Shellfish Farm Production Survey 2020

Scottish marine regions

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 introduced integrated management of Scotland's seas. The creation of a National Marine Plan, as required by the Act, sets the wider context for planning within Scotland including what should be considered when creating regional marine plans. Eleven Scottish Marine Regions have been created under the Act (see Appendix 2 map, page 17) which cover sea areas extending out to 12 nautical miles.

To support the development of Regional Marine Plans by Regional Marine Planning Partnerships, tonnages/shell numbers and financial values of annual shellfish production for mussels and Pacific oysters have been calculated for the regions defined under the Act. These regional data are presented in Appendix 2 (see page 17).

In order to maintain commercial confidentiality mussel production figures for Argyll & Clyde, and the West Highlands, Moray Firth & the North Coast were merged. Similarly, Pacific oyster production for the West Highlands & the North Coast were also required to be merged. Other shellfish species including native oyster (Argyll & Solway), scallop (Argyll & West Highlands) and queen scallop (Clyde & West Highlands) were produced, however, these figures cannot be attributed to Scottish Marine Regions due to commercial confidentiality.