Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 8 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly decided to protect Priority Marine Features through the use of Marine Conservation Orders, as opposed to including such conditions within fishing licences.
The final decision on how protections for Priority Marine Features (PMFs) will be implemented will be made by Ministers after the proposed fisheries management measures have been consulted on and the responses analysed.
Whilst the legislation to be used is yet to be decided it cannot be done through the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and use of Marine Conservation Orders (MCOs). MCOs can only be used to implement management measures in specific designated sites. These are nature conservation Marine Protected Areas, demonstration and research Marine Protected Areas, historic Marine Protected Areas and, any European marine site which overlaps these (either wholly or partly), which requires management measures.
The proposed PMF management areas will be fisheries closures with measures being introduced via a Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI), allowing for Parliamentary scrutiny.