Photo by Brad Lewis
Scotland has introduced new fisheries management measures across 20 offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The Offshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2025 was laid before the Scottish Parliament on 12 September and is scheduled to come into force on 16 October 2025.
The legislation introduces site-specific restrictions on fishing methods in waters between 12 and 200 nautical miles from the coast, targeting protection of vulnerable habitats including deep-sea sponge aggregations, cold-water corals, and critical seafloor habitats.
Three-tiered protection approach
Five sites will be subject to full-site restrictions, prohibiting all fishing methods considered damaging to protected features. Thirteen sites will implement zonal measures, permitting certain fishing activities in areas deemed compatible with conservation objectives.
Two sites—Central Fladen MPA and East of Gannet and Montrose Fields MPA—will adopt revised zonal measures following updated conservation advice from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), increasing protection levels in response to new evidence.
Stakeholder responses
The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) has broadly welcomed the measures, noting that designation was “based primarily on scientific evidence, a presumption of use within MPAs so long as conservation objectives can be met, and management developed on a site-by-site basis,” according to its submission.
The SFF stated it was “broadly satisfied with the outcomes and are pleased that government has not wavered from its original aims and objectives of a presumption for sustainable use, despite considerable pressure from campaign groups.”
Blue Marine Foundation also welcomed the decision as “long overdue,” noting it will protect an additional 60,000 km² of offshore MPA seabed from bottom-towed fishing practices. The organisation emphasised that this brings total protected offshore MPA seabed to over 90%.
“This is a significant and essential step toward ensuring that MPAs can function effectively and meet their conservation objectives to protect nationally important habitats and species such as deep-sea coral gardens, Leafscale Gulper sharks, Ocean quahogs and rocky reefs,” it stated.
Declan Tobin, Marine Species Team Leader at JNCC, described the measures as “a landmark moment for MPA protection, following fifteen years of collaboration.”
Implementation and next steps
The measures follow a public consultation conducted between August and October 2024 and extensive stakeholder engagement beginning in 2015. The Scottish Government has published comprehensive guidance including maps, gear codes, and geographic coordinates to support compliance.
Shetland Islands Council raised concerns about potential disproportionate effects on fishing-dependent communities, noting that fishing accounts for nearly a third of the islands’ economic output. Static gear representatives expressed concerns about their later inclusion in the consultation process.
A separate consultation for fisheries management measures in inshore MPAs will follow, addressing waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast where currently only 8% of MPA areas have protection. Further information is available on the Scottish Government website, with enquiries directed to Marine_Biodiversity@gov.scot.