Polygon

After work began in July 2018 to identify the PMFs most sensitive to bottom contacting mobile fishing gears and the drafting of 2018 illustrative PMF management areas, proposed management areas were required to be developed to be proposed at public consultation aimed to be launched 2025 on inshore fisheries management measures.

The proposed management areas, shown in this dataset, within Scotland’s inshore waters were defined through a collaborative process involving scientific advice and stakeholder engagement led by Marine Directorate. Boundary setting for proposed management areas was guided by ecological evidence, expert input, and feedback from stakeholders.

The following data has been made available: proposed management areas for PMFs outside of the MPA network for Option 2 for the upcoming public consultation.

The PMFs encompassed by the review are Blue mussel beds, Cold water coral reefs, Fan mussel aggregations, Flame shell beds, Horse mussel beds, Maerl beds, Maerl or coarse shell gravel with burrowing sea cucumbers, Native oysters, Northern sea fan and sponge communities, Seagrass beds, Serpulid aggregations.

These data layers are separate to the 2018 illustrative layers which were a starting point for the discussion and development of the PMF management areas to be proposed at consultation. The 2025 proposed PMF management areas have been developed and refined using advice from NatureScot, fishing data, scientific boundary setting principles and stakeholder engagement.  

After work began in July 2018 to identify the PMFs most sensitive to bottom contacting mobile fishing gears and the drafting of 2018 illustrative PMF management areas, proposed management areas were required to be developed to be proposed at public consultation aimed to be launched 2025 on inshore fisheries management measures. 

The proposed management areas, shown in this dataset, within Scotland’s inshore waters were defined through a collaborative process involving scientific advice and stakeholder engagement led by Marine Directorate. Boundary setting for proposed management areas was guided by ecological evidence, expert input, and feedback from stakeholders.  

The following data has been made available: proposed management areas for PMFs outside of the MPA network for Option 1 for the upcoming public consultation.

The PMFs encompassed by the review are Blue mussel beds, Cold water coral reefs, Fan mussel aggregations, Flame shell beds, Horse mussel beds, Maerl beds, Maerl or coarse shell gravel with burrowing sea cucumbers, Native oysters, Northern sea fan and sponge communities, Seagrass beds, Serpulid aggregations.

These data layers are separate to the 2018 illustrative layers which were a starting point for the discussion and development of the PMF management areas to be proposed at consultation. The 2025 proposed PMF management areas have been developed and refined using advice from NatureScot, fishing data, scientific boundary setting principles and stakeholder engagement.  

The draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE) sets out an integrated planning framework for both the ScotWind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds alongside consideration of additional capacity for test and demonstration (T&D) projects. It brings these elements into one planning document that:

• Updates the planning baseline from the 2020 SMP-OWE to take account of the level of ambition for offshore wind development in Scottish waters arising from the ScotWind leasing round;
• Continues the planning process for INTOG, building on the INTOG Initial Planning Framework (IPF) (2022); and
• Considers additional capacity for the development of T&D offshore wind projects, in recognition of potential future need for further testing of technology.

Spatially, the draft updated SMP-OWE defines refined Option Areas (OAs) within the spatial constraints of the Plan Options (POs) identified in the SMP-OWE 2020 and the Areas of Search (AoS) identified in the INTOG IPF, in order to reflect the outcome of the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds.

Marine planning zones set out the boundaries for local planning authorities responsibilities for planning controls of marine fish and shellfish farms in Scottish waters.

The Town and Country Planning (Marine Fish Farming) (Scotland) Order 2007 as amended by The Town and Country Planning (Marine Fish Farming) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2025 describes marine planning zone boundaries for each designated planning authority.