As needed

The UK sub region layer  shows how Scottish seas are divided between the two Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) UK sub regions: "Greater North Sea" and "Celtic Seas".

This dataset was produced using a number of datasets supplied to Cefas. This included the boundary of the MSFD area (based on the UK Renewable Energy Zone and limits of the UK continental shelf), Water Framework Directive (WFD), Coastal and Transitional waterbodies (supplied by Environment Agency, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Northern Ireland Environment Agency) and using boundaries between Charting Progress 2 reporting areas. The attributes were developed in line with MSFD reporting requirements

Regulating and Several Orders are granted by the Scottish Ministers under the terms of the Sea Fisheries (Shellfish) Act 1967 (the 1967 Act), as amended, in respect of the Scottish zone. They are made for the establishment or improvement and for the maintenance and regulation of a shellfish fishery.

A Regulating Order confers on its grantee the right to regulate fishing for a named species in a defined area, for a specified limit of time. A Several Order gives its grantee an exclusive right to deposit, propagate, dredge, fish for or take the species named in the Order, in the specified area and for a specified limit of time. An Order may restrict other fishing practices within its area in order to protect the specified shellfish stock. This layer displays areas covered by Regulating and Several Orders.

In response to local declines in seal numbers, the Scottish Government introduced conservation orders under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 to provide additional protection on a precautionary basis for vulnerable local populations of seals.

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 introduces provisions for existing orders to continue, and for new ones to be introduced administratively as Seal Conservation Areas.

Seal haul-out sites are designated under section 117 of Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Seal haul-outs are locations on land where seals come ashore to rest, moult or breed and Marine Scotland has been working closely with the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) (on behalf of NERC) to identify suitable sites. Harassing a seal (intentionally or recklessly) at a haul-out site is an offence. “Haul-out site” means any place which the Scottish Ministers, after consulting the Natural Environment Research Council, by order designate as such for the purposes of this section.

This layer shows the 194 seal haul-out sites in Scotland.

The 194 seal haul-out sites and grey seal breeding colonies were selected using a methodology developed by the NERC Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews (description of methodology can be found at http://www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2015/10/1741.pdf).