Southern North Sea Marine Protected Areas Proposed Fisheries

Southern North Sea Marine Protected Areas – Proposed Fisheries Management Measures

Designation and Management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in UK • The UK MPA network forms an integral element to meeting EC Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requirements to put in place spatial protection measures which contribute to a coherent and representative network of MPAs and provide an effective measure to deliver Good Environmental Status. • There are two main types of MPA: European Marine Sites under the Birds and Habitats Directives, and Marine Conservation Zones under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 aimed at meeting commitments relating to the MSFD • For European sites, there is a common criteria for selection and a common regulated assessment procedure with respect to activities that are likely to have a significant effect on the sites • The selection of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) is guided by the principles set out by OSPAR, and have a similar regulatory regime to minimise adverse impacts of activities. • For all the sites, the minimum environmental standard is to ensure that sites remain in, or are restored to, a favourable condition. 2

Common Fisheries Policy • Article 11 provides a process through which Member States can propose fisheries management measures for sites designated under the Nature Directives and other sites identified as requirement to deliver the MPA aspects of the MSFD • All measures passed under Article 11 need to be sufficiently robust as to meet EU environmental law obligations and the objectives of the CFP. • These measures should include applying: – The precautionary principle – Avoiding the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species as well as the disturbance of the species for which they have been designated – Establishing “necessary conservation measures” that will meet the ecological requirements of the protected habitats or species in a SAC – Establishing “spatial protection measures” that will contribute to a “coherent and representative network of MPAs” 3

Common Fisheries Policy (cont. ) • The initiating Member State and other Member States with a direct management interest may submit a joint recommendation as referred to in Article 18(1) within 6 months from the provision of sufficient information. • Under Article 18(2) Member States are obliged to consult Advisory Councils as part of this process • If all Member States succeed in reaching an agreement on the measures, these are submitted to the Commission, who shall adopt the measures, within 3 months 4

Southern North Sea sites • Following stakeholder workshops in the Netherlands and the UK in August 2014 and May 2015, fisheries management measures are proposed for the following sites in the southern North Sea: – – – North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reef SCI Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton SCI Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge SCI North East of Farnes Deep MCZ Swallow Sand MCZ 5

North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reef SCI • This site has been designated for the following features: • - Sandbanks slightly covered by seawater all the time • - Reef • The Conservation Objective is to restore the features Sandbanks slightly covered by seawater all the time and Reef to Favourable Condition. 6

Management boundary: North Norfolk sandbanks and Saturn Reef SCI 7

VMS report indicating all fishing activity in North Norfolk Sandbanks and Saturn Reef SCI 2013 – by nationality 8

Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton SCI • This site has been designated for the following features: • - Sandbanks slightly covered by seawater all the time • - Reef • The Conservation Objective is to maintain the feature Sandbanks slightly covered by seawater all the time and maintain or restore the Reef feature to Favourable Condition. 9

Management boundary: Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton SCI 10

VMS report indicating all fishing activity in the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton SCI 2013 – by nationality 11

Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge SCI • This site was designated for the following features: • - Sandbanks slightly covered by seawater all the time • - Reef • The Conservation Objective is to maintain or restore Sandbanks slightly covered by seawater all the time and Reef to Favourable Condition. 12

Management boundary: Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge SCI 13

VMS report indicating all fishing activity in Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge SCI 2013 by nationality 14

Swallow Sand MCZ • This site was designated for the following features: • - Subtidal coarse sediment • - Subtidal sand • The Conservation Objective is to maintain or restore the Subtidal coarse sediment and the Subtidal sand to a Favourable Condition. 15

Management boundary: Swallow Sand MCZ 16

VMS report indicating all fishing activity in the Swallow Sand MCZ 2013 by nationality 17

North East of Farnes Deep MCZ • This site was designated for the following features: • - Subtidal coarse sediment • - Subtidal sand • The Conservation Objective is to maintain the Subtidal coarse sediment and the Subtidal sand in Favourable Condition. 18

Management boundary: North East of Farnes Deep MCZ 19

VMS report indicating all fishing activity in the North East of Farnes Deep MCZ 2013 by nationality 20

Expected timeline for development of SNS management proposals and consultation • Meeting with the NSAC Spatial Planning Working Group – 13 January • Informal consultation with Advisory Committee, other MS/stakeholders – January 2016 – 6 weeks • Meeting with MS – April 2016 • Formal consultation with MS to agree Joint Recommendation following the Scheveningen Terms of Reference – May-October 2016 (up to 6 months) • Submit Recommendations to the Commission – November/December 2016 21