Crown

Marine Scotland commissioned SNH to identify locations within inshore waters (6NM limit) where there is a need to consider additional management for bottom contacting mobile fishing gears to ensure there is no significant impact on the national status of 11 PMFs*. A consultation was launched in July 2018 seeking views on the data and evidence sources; the proposed management approach; and reasonable alternatives.
The following data has been made available: point data for 10 PMF species and their management status (native oysters are excluded for sensitivity reasons); polygon extents of "areas for management consideration" and "knowledge gaps"; polygon extents of estimated fishing footprint of bottom trawl and scallop dredge for period 2009-2016; illustrative management areas for PMFs outside of the MPA network.
*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

Marine Environmental Assessment Group data for organic contaminants, metals, biological effects and water chemistry collected for the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (CSEMP). Sediment and biota samples are analysed for organic contaminants (PAHs, PCBs and PBDEs) and trace metals. Biological effects are also measured in biota. Nutrients are measured in water samples. This layer shows the assessments from the UK Marine Environment Monitoring and Assessment National (MERMAN) database for reporting stress-on-stress in mussels, which shows an organism-level indicator of general stress. Higher values equate to less stress.

All data is submitted to the UK Merman database.

Marine Environmental Assessment Group data for organic contaminants, metals, biological effects and water chemistry collected for the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (CSEMP). Sediment and biota samples are analysed for organic contaminants (PAHs, PCBs and PBDEs) and trace metals. Biological effects are also measured in biota. Nutrients are measured in water samples. This layer shows the assessments from the UK Marine Environment Monitoring and Assessment National (MERMAN) database for reporting .comet assay in mussels, which shows cellular-level marker of exposure to genotoxic contaminants. Higher values equate to more damage / exposure to the contaminants.

All data is submitted to the UK Merman database.

Point data identifying the location of finfish or shellfish farms around Scotland from the Fish Health Inspectorate Aquadat database. This includes fishery sites which are ponds or other installation where farmed fish are stocked for recreational fishing (either private or commercial). The data includes the three categories: Active: is the status of a site that is stocked or fallow with the intention of restocking in the foreseeable future. Inactive: is the status of a site that is unlikely to be stocked in the foreseeable future. Deregistered: is the status applied to a site that is no longer used for the purpose of fish or shellfish production; the lease has been surrendered.