Polygon

This layer displays the landings by live weight (tonnes) for commercial fishing activity in Scottish seas of demersal (bottom dwelling) fish species, including UK registered fishing vessels wherever they land and non-UK vessels if landing into the UK, as recorded in last five years of published statistics. Data is redacted if less than five vessels operate within an ICES statistical rectangle (values = -1).

Data derived from logbooks and landing declarations provided to the UK fishing authorities as required under Council Regulation (EC) No. 1224/2009 (all over 10m vessels), and any forms required by licence conditions (UK under 10m vessels).

Users are recommended to zoom in to see the detail of the graph axes.  For each layer, the colour of the ICES rectangle represents the data for the most recent year. Rectangles cross-hatched indicate that fishing takes but the data are disclosive (cannot be displayed for reasons of commercial confidentiality).

‘Lease/Lease Agreement’ is a legal agreement from Crown Estate Scotland whereby an area of foreshore or seabed is occupied by a third party (a 'tenant') for an agreed purpose, such as fish farming, and which gives consent for the tenant to develop the fish farm on the lease site(s), if other required permissions are gained.

This layer shows areas where there is a Crown Estate Scotland Lease/Lease Agreement in place for a finfish, shellfish, or other aquaculture site. It is updated quarterly (approx).

For over 100 years Marine Scotland, under various names, has conducted marine research in the waters around Scotland which has included the measurement of physical and chemical parameters at standard sections worked routinely over a number of years, and at ad hoc stations whose timing and location were determined by individual projects. The 'Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 4 No 1' paper presents summary tables of a selection of these parameters in twenty six sub-areas of Scottish waters selected because of their distinct hydrographic characteristics. Only data from 1960 have been used. 

The layer describes areas of Scottish seas for which there are 'Annual Cycles of Physical, Chemical and Biological Parameters' available as part of the 'Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 4 No 1'. DOI: 10.7489/1511-1.  The 'Feature Information' for each polygon will bring up an attribute table that includes the sea area name, a DOI (that takes you to the data from that area) and a url (that opens the data .csv file).

The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters (PFOW) supports a diverse marine economy and a vast majority of the area is used for multiple activities. This means there is a potential for competition and conflict. The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters was chosen to pilot the development of a marine spatial plan to support sustainable management of the area’s seas. It aims to balance the needs of local communities and marine economic activities whilst protecting the environment on which they depend. The pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan is being developed by a working group that includes Marine Scotland, Orkney Islands Council and Highland Council. This pilot Plan aims to put in place a planning policy framework in advance of statutory regional marine planning to support sustainable decision making on marine use and management. Through the process of producing the pilot Plan, there have been many lessons learned, which will be published shortly, to inform the preparation of future regional marine plans and the governance arrangements that could underpin Marine Planning Partnerships. It is also anticipated that the pilot Plan will establish a useful basis for the preparation of the two future regional marine plans for Orkney and the North Coast Scottish Marine Regions. This layer displays map 9 of the plan, which shows Shellfish Harvesting Waters and Water Protected Areas in the PFOW.