North Scotland Shelf

North Scotland Shelf OMR

Pressures from human activities

Priority [1] Pressure (FeAST classification) [2] Main healthy and biologically diverse components affected [3] Main contributing FeAST activity /activities to pressure [4] Associated productive assessments [5]
1 Removal of target species (including lethal)
  • Fishing - Bottom otter trawling and pair trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TB, TBN)
  • Fishing - Demersal seine netting (SSC, SDN, SPR)
  • Fishing - Line fishing (hand and mechanized line and longlining) (LHP, LHM, LL, LLS)
  • Fishing - Pelagic trawling & purse seining (OTM, PTM, TM, PS, PS1, PS2)
2 Removal of non-target species (including lethal)
  • Fishing - Bottom otter trawling and pair trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TB, TBN)
  • Fishing - Demersal seine netting (SSC, SDN, SPR)
  • Fishing - Line fishing (hand and mechanized line and longlining) (LHP, LHM, LL, LLS)
  • Fishing - Pelagic trawling & purse seining (OTM, PTM, TM, PS, PS1, PS2)
3 Underwater noise
  • Military activities – Sea surface activity
  • Military activities – Sonar use
  • Seismic survey (military, exploration, construction)
  • Shipping
4 Physical change (to another seabed type)
  • Fishing - Bottom otter trawling and pair trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TB, TBN)
5 Death or injury by collision below water
  • Military activities – Sea surface activity
  • Shipping

North Scotland Shelf

The tables in this section reflect the output of the workshop (October 2019) when the pressures from human activities were assessed for the period 2014 to 2018 for the region. The summary text below the tables elaborates on some of the points that were made at the workshop.
This pressure assessment uses the FeAST classification which includes two abrasion pressures: surface abrasion & sub-surface abrasion. Some expert groups combined these as a single pressure "surface & sub-surface abrasion" whilst others focussed on using surface abrasion alone, hence there is a slight difference in handling for some regions.
The ranking of the pressures in terms of impact is a relative exercise within each region, and is not a statement of their absolute impact. Detailed comparison between regions on the basis of these relative pressure assessments is therefore not advisable.

Main pressures identified

Priority [1] Pressure (FeAST classification) [2] Main healthy and biologically diverse components affected [3] Main contributing FeAST activity /activities to pressure [4] Associated productive assessments [5]
1 Removal of target species (including lethal)
  • Fishing - Bottom otter trawling and pair trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TB, TBN)
  • Fishing - Demersal seine netting (SSC, SDN, SPR)
  • Fishing - Line fishing (hand and mechanized line and longlining) (LHP, LHM, LL, LLS)
  • Fishing - Pelagic trawling & purse seining (OTM, PTM, TM, PS, PS1, PS2)
2 Removal of non-target species (including lethal)
  • Fishing - Bottom otter trawling and pair trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TB, TBN)
  • Fishing - Demersal seine netting (SSC, SDN, SPR)
  • Fishing - Line fishing (hand and mechanized line and longlining) (LHP, LHM, LL, LLS)
  • Fishing - Pelagic trawling & purse seining (OTM, PTM, TM, PS, PS1, PS2)
3 Underwater noise
  • Military activities – Sea surface activity
  • Military activities – Sonar use
  • Seismic survey (military, exploration, construction)
  • Shipping
4 Physical change (to another seabed type)
  • Fishing - Bottom otter trawling and pair trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TB, TBN)
5 Death or injury by collision below water
  • Military activities – Sea surface activity
  • Shipping

North Scotland Shelf