Document Control Title Margate and Long Sands EMS Fisheries in MPA assessment Author E Young/N Greenwood/L Stockdale/M Kirby Approver M Coyle/L Stockdale Owner L Stockdale Revision History Date Author Version Status Reason Approver(s) 15/10/2014 C Jackson 1.1 Draft Initial draft E Young 12/06/2015 E Young 1.4 Draft Incorporation of NE comments on IDRBNR L Stockdale 12/08/2015 N Greenwood 1.7 Draft 17/08/2015 L Stockdale/M Coyle 1.8 Draft L Stockdale/M Coyle 30/09/2015 E Young 2.0 Draft Incorporation of NE comments L Stockdale 10/11/2015 E Young 2.1 Draft Incorporation of NE clarification comments L Stockdale 08/12/2015 L Stockdale 2.2 Draft QA 15/01/2016 E Young 2.4 Draft Incorporated IFCA comments L Stockdale April - May M Kirby V0.1 Draft Updating to new assessment format N Greenwood/L Stockdale May - June L Stockdale V0.2 Draft Drafting and QA 24/06/2016 M Coyle V0.3 Final MMO QA M Coyle 12/07/2016 M Kirby V0.4 Draft Updated Table 2 and Table 7 to clarify sub-feature assessment 31/08/2016 M Van Wyk V0.5 Draft Inserted “Footprint” section, updated re-wrote assessment into new MPA template format, renumbered. L Stockdale 12/10/2016 L Stockdale V0.6 Final MMO revision after NE comments L Stockdale This document has been distributed for information and comment to: Title Title Date sent Comments received V1.8 Margate and Long Sands EMS - Interim advice request Natural England 21/08/2015 14/09/2015 - Mike Quigley, Ingrid Chudleigh, Mark Duffy and Lucy Abram V1.8 Margate and Long Sands EMS - Interim advice request Kent And Essex IFCA 21/08/2015 18/09/2015 - Will Wright, Jane Heywood and Vicky Foster
Natural England clarification note Natural England 12/11/2015 - Ingrid Chudleigh V2.3 Kent and Essex IFCA 12/01/2016 15/01/2016 - Will Wright, Jane Heywood and Vicky Foster V0.3 Natural England and Kent and Essex IFCA 28/06/2016 22/07/2016 - Natural England: Ingrid Chudleigh, Mike Quigley, Mark Duffy and Lucy Abram V0.5 Kent and Essex IFCA, Will Wright 02/09/2016 Margate and Long Sands Site of Community Importance (SCI) MMO Fisheries Assessment 1. Summary Table 1 shows a summary of the outcomes of this assessment of the impact of fishing in this SCI. Features Matrix Gear Type Part A Outcome Part B Outcome In-combination Assessment Subtidal coarse sediment and Subtidal mixed sediments and Subtidal sand Beam trawl (whitefish) LSE Adverse effect No adverse effect with proposed management Beam trawl (shrimp) Beam trawl (pulse/wing) Heavy otter trawl Multi-rig trawls Light otter trawl Pair trawl Mussels, clams, oysters No LSE No adverse effect Pump scoop (cockles, clams) Suction (cockles) Gill nets No LSE No adverse effect Trammels Entangling Drift nets (demersal) Pots/creels (crustacea/gastropods) 2. Introduction Table 2: Details of Area Name and legal Status of site(s): Name of site(s) Legal status Margate and Long Sands SCI
Scope of this assessment - fishing activities assessed The geographic scope of this assessment covers the entire Margate and Long Sands EMS. All fishing activity/feature interactions at this site identified as ‘amber’ in the of fisheries gear types and European marine site protected features (hereafter ‘the Matrix’) were considered for inclusion in this assessment. Fishing activity-feature interactions identified as ‘green’ are also assessed if there are in-combination effects with other activities. Table 4 shows the fishing activities with amber interactions assessed at this site. The ‘matrix gear type’ column shows the categories used in the Matrix. These are matched to the ‘aggregated method’ categories used in Natural England conservation advice packages. Table 4: Fishing activities with amber interactions included for assessment Features Matrix Gear Type Natural England Aggregated Method Subtidal coarse sediment And Subtidal mixed sediments And Subtidal sand Anchor seine Demersal seine Scottish/fly seine Beam trawl (whitefish) Demersal trawl Beam trawl (shrimp) Beam trawl (pulse/wing) Heavy otter trawl Multi-rig trawls Light otter trawl Pair trawl Scallops Dredges Mussels, clams, oysters Pump scoop (cockles, clams) Suction (cockles) Hydraulic dredges Pots/creels (crustacea/gastropods) Traps Cuttle pots Fish traps Gill nets Anchored nets/lines Trammels Entangling Drift nets (demersal) Beach seines/ring nets Shore-based activities Shrimp push-nets Fyke and stakenets Bait dragging Commercial sea fishing has the potential to vary in nature and intensity over time. This assessment considers a particular range of recent and likely future activity based on activity levels and type as identified in section 4.1.4. To ensure that the conservation objectives of the site are not hindered should future activity occur outside of this range, the MMO will monitor activity at this site, and will review this assessment should certain conditions be triggered. See section 6 and 7 for more information on ongoing monitoring and control at this site.
Penetration and/or disturbance of the substrate below the surface of the seabed, including abrasion No LSE – Only the anchors will penetrate the seabed and this will be minor and localised LSE - Gears are designed to interact with the seabed No LSE - Only the anchors will penetrate the seabed and this will be minor and localised Removal of non-target species LSE – nets may catch crustacea or entangle and remove branching epifauna identified as key species at this site LSE – gears are non-selective LSE – Pots may remove Organic enrichment No LSE – Margate and Long Sands is subject to strong tides and currents and nutrients will be moved out of the area quickly Changes in suspended solids (water clarity) No LSE – interaction with the seabed is minor and will create localised changes in sediment which will disperse quickly LSE - This pressure may result from physical disturbance of the sediment, along with hydrodynamic action caused by the passage of towed gear, leading to entrainment and suspension of the substrate behind and around the gear components No LSE – interaction with the seabed is minor and will create localised changes in sediment which will disperse quickly Physical change (to another seabed type) No LSE – Only the anchors will penetrate the seabed and this will be minor and localised No LSE – These gears are used on sandbank which will remain as sandy substrates after fishing has occurred No LSE – Only the anchors will penetrate the seabed and this will be minor and localised
The trawling gear with the largest swept area at the site is Beam trawling which had a peak p value of 1.139 in 2010 and 1.0506 in 2011. Plumes can persist for several hours after fishing activity has ceased (Martin et al 2014). However Margate is subject to wave action and this will help disperse the plumes and generally provide a dynamic sediment system. The communities that live on sandbanks will be adapted for some level of sedimentation. As the plume eventually degrades to background levels the main impacts will be immediately behind the head of the gear (O’Neill and Summerbell, 2011). Most organisms in this area will be affected more by the physical destruction caused by the fishing gear which has been discussed in section 9.1 and 9.2. Table 25: Siltation rate changes and changes in suspended solids assessment Pressure Interest feature Favourable condition target Activity Compatible with conservation objectives? Siltation rate changes (Low), including smothering (depth of vertical sediment overburden) and Changes in suspended solids (water clarity) Sandbanks (subtidal sand / subtidal mixed sediment / subtidal coarse sediment) SA10 Demersal trawl N Dredges Y – does not occur in site Hydraulic dredges N – but management in place SA11 Demersal trawl N Dredges Y – does not occur in site Hydraulic dredges N – but management in place SA12 Demersal trawl N Dredges N – does not occur in site Hydraulic dredges N – but management in place SA13 Demersal trawl N Dredges N – does not occur in site Hydraulic dredges N – but management in place 4.5 In combination impacts of other known or potential activities The effects of activities considered to be compatible with the conservation objectives of the site when considered alone were also assessed in combination with other relevant activities taking place including: