Formal Consultation – MMO management of fishing activity impacts in marine protected areas – Stage 3
2.9 Margate and Long Sands
This section is for specific responses in relation to Margate and Long Sands MPA.
If you have general comments for MPAs in the North Sea please place these in the ‘region - regional comments’ section.
Alternatively, if your comments are overarching, for the consultation as a whole, please place these in the ‘General comments’ section.
A summary for Margate and Long Sands MPA, the Stage 3 MPA Fisheries Assessment, associated Impact Assessment (De minimis Assessment), methodology and draft byelaw can be found in the related information section below. Three Impacts Evidence documents can also be accessed in the related information section, describing the interactions between different fishing gear types and designated MPA features.
The map of the management area for this site can be found below. WebApps displaying the management areas alongside site data have also been produced. Access the WebApps here, guidance on their use can be found in the related information section below.
As detailed on the overview page, we have provided guidance questions which may help with structuring your response:
- Do you have any additional information about the location, condition, or sensitivity of the designated features?
- Do you have information on the type, location, frequency, or intensity of fishing activity within the MPAs?
- Do you agree or disagree with the proposed management measures? Do you have any suggestions for other management measures?
- How would the proposed management measures affect you? Or those you represent?
- What impacts, if any, do you anticipate the proposed management measures will have on UK fishing vessels, operators, or supply chains?
- What impacts, if any, do you anticipate the proposed management measures will have on non-UK fishing vessels, operators, or supply chains (including those from the EU)?
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What other impacts could the proposed management measures have? For example, on fishers, the wider fishing community, coastal communities, employment, upstream and downstream supply chains, people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, fish stocks, the marine environment.
Related Information
Margate and Long Sands MPA is an SAC covering 649 km2 off the coast of Kent and Essex in the Southern North Sea. The site straddles the 6 nm limit.
The MMO Margate and Long Sands European Marine Site (Specified Areas) Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2017 came into force in 2017 and prohibits the use of bottom towed fishing gear over two areas of sandbank in the portion of the site offshore of 6 nm.
The portion of this site inshore of 6 nm is within the Kent and Essex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation District. MMO is therefore working with the IFCA to ensure effective management of fishing in this site. MMO is assessing fishing in the portion of the site beyond 6 nm, and the IFCA is assessing fishing within 6 nm. MMO will be responsible for implementing any fisheries management measures required for the portion of the site offshore of 6 nm.
The designated feature that occurs in the portion offshore of 6 nm is:
- sandbanks.
The MMO draft site assessment concludes that ongoing fishing using bottom towed gear over the sandbank feature may result in an adverse effect on site integrity.
The MMO draft site assessment also concludes that ongoing fishing using anchored nets and lines and traps over the sandbank feature will not result in an adverse effect on site integrity.
MMO is therefore proposing a prohibition of the use of bottom towed gear throughout the portion of the MPA offshore of 6 nm, and a small buffer zone around the boundary of this part of the MPA.
This measure is included in the draft North Sea Marine Protected Areas Fishing Gear Byelaw 2024.
MMO is also proposing that the current bottom towed gear prohibition in the MMO Margate and Long Sands European Marine Site (Specified Areas) Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2017 is incorporated into and replaced by the draft North Sea Marine Protected Areas Fishing Gear Byelaw 2024.
The Margate and Long Sands site assessment can be viewed and downloaded below.
Margate and Long Sands MPA Fisheries Site Assessment (opens in new tab)
Other relevant related documents can be viewed and downloaded below:
The North Sea Marine Protected Areas Fishing Gear Byelaw 2024
MMO Stage 3 MPA Fisheries Assessment Methodology
MMO Stage 3 MPA WebApp Guidance
Anchored Nets and Lines Fishing Gear Impacts Evidence