Work with stakeholders to focus on identifying practical, achievable actions to reduce pressure on seafloor habitats most at risk or most extensively impacted informed as appropriate by the development of an OSPAR Regional Action Plan on benthic shelf habitats.
Objective 3: Embed nature positive Farming, Fishing and Forestry
Priority Action 17. Implement the policies in Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy to deliver sustainable fisheries, using best available scientific advice, and minimising adverse impacts on nontarget species and habitats.
The OSPAR Regional Action Plan (RAP) on benthic shelf habitats was published in December 2024, providing an agreed North-East Atlantic framework for identifying and reducing pressures on seabed habitats. Scottish implementation is now being considered through marine planning, Marine Protected Area management, and wider fisheries policy processes.
In Scotland, stakeholder engagement on reducing pressure on seabed habitats continues through Marine Scotland-led processes and MPA management discussions, but there is no single published Scottish delivery plan setting out all agreed practical actions specifically derived from the RAP.
The OSPAR RAP provides a strong scientific and policy framework recognising that benthic shelf habitats are highly vulnerable to physical disturbance, particularly from bottom-contact fishing gears such as trawls and dredges. Evidence from OSPAR and Marine Scotland science shows these habitats support key ecosystem functions, including biodiversity, carbon storage, and nursery grounds. However, ecological improvement depends on translation of the RAP into binding national measures, such as spatial restrictions, gear changes, or targeted restoration actions. In Scotland, this translation is still in development through existing marine policy and MPA processes, and no dedicated implementation programme has yet been published.
As a result, ecological benefits remain potential and dependent on future policy action rather than confirmed delivery.
OSPAR Commission – Regional Action Plan for benthic shelf habitats (2024)
Consult on proposals to transition our inshore fisheries to a more agile and responsive management system informed by the best available evidence.
Develop 21 Fisheries Management Plans as set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement to increase or maintain the sustainability of fish stocks.
Develop and implement a suite of technical and spatial measures to reduce levels of discarding of ‘unwanted’ fish catch alongside measures to reduce bycatch of sensitive marine species.
Identify high risk areas, gear types and/or fisheries for bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species, in which to focus monitoring and mitigation.
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