3.4. Fishing Activity Assessment

3.4.1. Fishing Intensity Based on VMS Data

This section presents the spatial mapping data and information available to inform the location and intensity of fishing across the commercial fisheries regional study area, and at a wider spatial scale as available. For context, active fishing restrictions are provided in Figure 3.23 Open ▸ indicating no current fishery related restrictions across the Array. The closest restriction is approximately 54.5 km south of the Array in the Farne Deeps where technical gear restrictions are in place related to the mesh size and twine thickness of fishing nets deployed by demersal otter trawl and demersal seine.
VMS data has been obtained from five different sources, with varying details as follows:

ICES VMS data displays the surface SAR of catches by different gear types and covers EU (including UK) registered vessels 12 m and over in length. Surface SAR indicates the number of times in an annual period that a demersal fishing gear makes contact with (or sweeps) the seabed surface. Surface SAR provides a proxy for fishing intensity and has been analysed to determine an average annual SAR based on data from 2016 to 2020.
Marine Directorate Scottish vessel VMS data sourced from the NMPi data catalogue indicating fishery effort data by gear type.
MMO VMS data displaying the first sales value (£) of catches and covers UK registered vessels 15 m and over in length from 2016 to 2020.
MMO VMS data displaying the total quantity (tonnes) of landings by all gears deployed by UK registered vessels 15 m and over in length from 2011 to 2015.
Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA) VMS data for their Scottish pelagic trawl member vessels from 2013 to 2021.

Pelagic trawl activity is depicted in Figure 3.24 Open ▸ for UK vessels based on VMS data sourced from the MMO for 2016 to 2019 and in Figure 3.25 Open ▸ for 2020. The nature of pelagic trawling activity means that vessels track shoals of fish and deploy fishing gear to harvest a portion of that migrating shoal. This means activity is not associated with specific seabed grounds, but to the migration route of the shoaling fish. Fishing locations are therefore generally across a wider area and vary spatially on an annual basis depending on the route taken by the fish. The VMS data clearly indicates activity by pelagic trawlers in 2017 and 2018, which corroborates the data assessed for the commercial fisheries local and regional study areas. The key areas targeted are north of the Array (43E9), east of the Array (42F0) and south-east of the Array (41F0). No pelagic trawl VMS records are seen to occur within the Array. No pelagic trawl activity is visible in the commercial fisheries regional study area in 2019 and 2020.
Pelagic trawl VMS data sourced and provided by the SPFA for their Scottish pelagic trawl member vessels (SPFA, 2024) is depicted in Figure 3.26 Open ▸ for active fishing operations and in Figure 3.27 Open ▸ for active fishing and transiting activities, presented cumulatively for the period 2013 to 2021. The data indicates one VMS data point of active fishing from 2013 to 2021, located on the north boundary of the Array. This corroborates the low level of pelagic fishing activity within the Array. A transit route is noted running north-west to south-east, primarily outside and to the west of the Array.
VMS data from the period 2011 to 2015 has been analysed to explore the feedback from stakeholders that higher levels of fishing activity occurred within the Array prior to Brexit (i.e. before 2016). VMS data available for the 2011 to 2015 period is mapped for all fishing gears to indicate the quantity of landings in tonnes for 2011 ( Figure 3.28 Open ▸ ) and for 2012 to 2015 ( Figure 3.29 Open ▸ ). Higher levels of activity are noted within 42E9, including within the Array and to the north of the Array. Specifically for the years 2011-2013 activity is evidenced to occur within the Array.
Demersal otter trawl activity is depicted in Figure 3.30 Open ▸ , Figure 3.31 Open ▸ and Figure 3.32 Open ▸ . Both the ICES and MMO VMS data sources corroborate that there is very limited activity by demersal otter trawls within the Array. Activity is consistently seen within 42F0, which forms part of the commercial fisheries local study area. However, the activity occurs outside the Array, and is focused on grounds within the Devil’s Hole, which is located approximately 18 km to the east of the Array. The Devil’s Hole is a series of deep trenches that run north to south and are targeted by demersal otter trawlers for Nephrops and mixed demersal whitefish species.
Demersal seine activity is depicted in Figure 3.33 Open ▸ , indicating negligible activity across the Array. An area of activity is noted to the west of the Array within 42E9.
Beam trawl activity is depicted in Figure 3.34 Open ▸ , Figure 3.35 Open ▸ and Figure 3.36 Open ▸ , indicating negligible activity across the Array, and commercial fisheries local and regional study areas.
Dredge activity is depicted in Figure 3.37 Open ▸ , Figure 3.38 Open ▸ and Figure 3.39 Open ▸ , indicating negligible activity across the Array. The scallop dredge grounds are predominately located within 42E8 (part of the commercial fisheries regional study area), as well as further inshore between 6 nm to 12 nm.
Potting activity is depicted in Figure 3.40 Open ▸ and Figure 3.41 Open ▸ , indicating negligible activity across the Array. Potting vessels are typically smaller than 15 m in length and therefore not likely to be represented within the VMS dataset analysed. The Array is located in grounds that would typically be beyond the normal operational range of potting vessels.
Activity of Scottish vessels under 12 m in length is depicted in Figure 3.42 Open ▸ , indicating that all of the activity is located inshore from the Array, predominately within 6 nm, 6 nm to12 nm, and small areas of activity outside 12 nm.
VMS data for Norwegian registered vessels is presented in Figure 3.43 Open ▸ for the period 2013 to 2017, displaying fishing value based on correlating logbook data with VMS positioning data on a scale of high to low. Some activity by Norwegian vessels is noted along the north-east boundary of the Array. This activity predominately occurred during April to June in 2014. While gear types are not specified within the data it is considered likely to reflect pelagic trawl activity.
Fishing restrictions are mapped in Figure 3.23 Open ▸ , indicating the presence of management measures specific to UK fishing vessels. Management is in place within the Farne Deeps Nephrops Functional Unit, which is located 54.5 km south of the Array. No fishery related spatial restrictions are in place across the Array, as noted in paragraph 92.

3.4.2. Fishing Intensity Based on AIS Data

Fishing vessel route density, based on vessel AIS positional data is shown in Figure 3.44 Open ▸ for 2019 to 2022 and presented seasonally for 2022 in Figure 3.45 Open ▸ depicting activity in spring, summer, autumn and winter. AIS is required to be fitted on fishing vessels 15 m length. The data is specific to fishing vessels and indicated the route density per square kilometre (km2) per year. This data does not distinguish between transiting vessels and active fishing, but does provide a useful source to corroborate fishing grounds.
AIS data corroborates the very limited activity of fishing vessels across the Array. The Devil’s Hole grounds targeted by demersal otter trawlers is notable within 42F0, corroborating this activity is outside the Array.

3.4.3. Fishing Intensity Based on Marine Traffic Survey Data

Project-specific marine traffic surveys were undertaken in December 2022 and June 2023, using AIS and radar tracking and visual observations to record vessel activity across the Array. In addition, AIS data across the entire 2022 period has been interrogated to inform the Shipping and Navigation Navigational Risk Assessment (NRA) (volume 3, appendix 13.1).
Volume 3, appendix 13.1 provides details of the Winter and Summer Vessel Traffic Surveys, alongside analysis of fishing vessel activity from 12 months of collated AIS data. Overall, fishing was found to be relatively low, with the majority of vessels in transit to/from fishing grounds, notably transiting in a north-west to south-east direction. Only a small proportion of fishing vessels were considered to be involved in active fishing activity, with the majority of this occurring outside the Array during the months of May, June, and September.
Analysis of the unique daily fishing vessels indicated that, on average, one fishing vessel was seen within the shipping and navigation study area every two to three days across the annual 2022 data period. Further details are available within volume 3, appendix 13.1.

3.4.4. Fishing Intensity Based on Surveillance Data

Fisheries surveillance data from 2017 to 2022 has been sourced from the MMO and is presented in Figure 3.46 Open ▸ by vessel nationality and Figure 3.47 Open ▸ by gear type. No surveillance sightings were found within the Array, or within ICES rectangle 42E9.
Fisheries surveillance data indicates activity of the following fleets:

UK scallop dredge vessels operating outside the 12 nm boundary, and approximately 25 km to 60 km west of the Array boundary;
UK potting vessels operating both inside and outside the 12 nm boundary, and approximately 50 km to 80 km west of the Array boundary;
UK, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian and German pelagic trawlers operating approximately 20 km to 60 km north of the Array boundary; and
UK demersal otter trawlers operating and approximately 17 km to 60 km east of the Array boundary.

The fisheries surveillance data corroborates the findings of the other data sources reviewed, confirming the low level of activity fishing activity within the Array.