Polygon

Fishing pressures can be managed using spatial measures such as prohibiting or restricting certain types of fishing, target species, or vessel capacity. This dataset depicts areas where fishing with BOTTOM CONTACTING MOBILE GEAR is prohibited by EU, UK and Scottish legislation since 1986. Polygons were simplified for web use and are for illustrative purposes only. Guidance should be sought from Fishery Offices on interpreting legislation.

Bottom contacting mobile gear includes trawls, seines, and dredges.  Management areas are included for vulnerable marine ecosystems, and deep sea corals.  These deep sea areas do not specifically prohibit dredging, but cover areas of sea too deep for dredging to take place.

The Marine Licensing (Exempted Activities) (Scottish Offshore Region) Order 2011 requires that no deposit of marine chemical and marine oil treatment substances is made in an area of the sea of a depth of less than 20 metres, or within one nautical mile of any such area, except with the approval of the Scottish Ministers.

For the purposes of Marine Scotland Science’s (MSS) stock assessments, the king scallop (Pecten maximus) grounds around Scotland are divided into assessment areas (previously known as ‘Management areas’) which are defined on the basis of ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) statistical rectangles.  As in previous assessments, rectangle 40E4 is divided into two data components, one from the east side of the Mull of Kintyre and one from the west side.  This allows for a clearer distinction between the West of Kintyre and Clyde scallop stocks.

The Areas of Search and exclusions identify early Sectoral Marine Planning considerations for suitable offshore wind development. These locations will be progressed through a Sectoral Marine Planning exercise to determine areas of seabed, that can be leased by Crown Estate Scotland, for offshore wind projects that will be replacing traditional energy sources for oil and gas platforms/infrastructure. Following a public consultation (August 2022 to October 2022) the areas have been modified and republished in the INTOG Initial Plan Framework (February 2022)