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“Developing Essential Fish Habitat Maps for fish and shellfish species in Scotland” claims to define areas of sea essential for fish growth
Marine Scotland has published a report entitled “Developing Essential Fish Habitat Maps for fish and shellfish species in Scotland”, which it claims has helped define areas of sea, essential for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.
Twenty-nine species and multiple life-stages were reviewed covering marine fish and shellfish of commercial and ecological importance, relevant to offshore wind development areas.
Marine Scotland says that the report is “essential to the management of the activities, resources and assets in marine waters to ensure development in the marine environment” so that development projects “can be sited appropriately while avoiding conflicts with areas of high value to existing users (including fishing) and to conservation interests”.
The report examines the Essential Fish Habitats (EFH) of common sea fish and shellfish around the coast of Scotland including, fish survey data, environmental data and species distribution models. The EFH assess 29 fish species including, sandeel, Norway lobster, herring mackerel, sole, plaice, haddock and cod.
The report was compiled by:
Dr Anita Franco (Independent Estuarine & Marine Ecological Consultant): Project Management and Project lead. Project design. Literature review (fish). Data collation, analysis, modelling and interpretation. Habitat proxy assessment. Stakeholder consultation. Reporting.
Dr Shona Thomson (Thomson Geospatial ltd): GIS lead. Data layers collation, analysis and mapping. Reporting.
Dr Katie Smyth (independent consultant): Shellfish lead. Literature review (shellfish). Habitat proxy assessment. Reporting.
