UK Offence Report

The Offshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2025

Scottish Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 240 — creates 1 criminal offence.

1offences created
0recorded in force
0revoked
Made
28 August 2025
In force from
16 October 2025
Extent
Not stated
Subject
Health and safety, environment, waste and fisheries
Made under
Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order) — published with the instrument by the department that made it. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

This Order prohibits specified methods of fishing within specified areas. Article 3 and schedule 1 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in the Braemar Pockmarks Special Area of Conservation. Article 4 and schedule 2 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in two areas in the Central Fladen Marine Protected Area. Article 5 and schedule 3 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in the Darwin Mounds Special Area of Conservation. Article 6 and schedule 4 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in two areas of the Scottish zone in East of Gannet and Montrose Fields Marine Protected Area. Article 7 and schedule 5 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in six areas of East Rockall Bank Special Area of Conservation. Article 8 and schedule 6 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in two areas of the Scottish zone in the Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt Marine Protected Area. Article 9 and schedule 7 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in three areas of the Scottish zone in the Firth of Forth Banks Complex Marine Protected Area. Article 10 and schedule 8 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in three areas of the Scottish zone in the Geike Slide and Hebridean Slope Marine Protected Area. Article 11 and schedule 9 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in two areas of the Scottish zone in the North-east Faro-Shetland Channel Marine Protected Area. Article 12 and schedule 10 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in an area of the Scottish zone in the North West Rockall Bank Special Area of Conservation. Article 13 and schedule 11 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in two areas of the Scottish zone in the Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain Marine Protected Area. Article 14 and schedule 12 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in an area of the Scottish zone in the Pobie Bank Reef Special Area of Conservation. Article 15 and schedule 13 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in the Scanner Pockmarks Special Area of Conservation. Article 16 and schedule 14 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in five areas of the Scottish zone in Solan Bank Reef Special Area of Conservation. An exception to the prohibition applies in relation to the Solan Bank Reef Fifth Protected Area to allow sea fishing with a demersal trawl or a demersal seine net within a specified period. Article 17 and schedule 15 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in three areas of the Scottish zone in the Stanton Banks Special Area of Conservation. Article 18 and schedule 16 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in two areas of the Scottish zone in The Barra Fan and Hebrides Terrace Seamount Marine Protected Area. Article 19 and schedule 17 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in the West of Scotland Marine Protected Area. Article 20(1) and schedule 18 prohibit fishing for sea fish with a beam trawl or dredge throughout the whole of the West Shetland Shelf MPA. Additionally, article 20(2) and schedule 18 prohibit fishing for sea fish with a bottom trawl or demersal seine net within two smaller areas in that MPA. Article 21 and schedule 19 prohibit fishing for sea fish with specified fishing gear in two areas of the Scottish zone within the Wyville Thomson Ridge Special Area of Conservation. Article 22 regulates the storage of fishing gear on fishing vessels within each of the protected areas. It is an offence under section 5(1) of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 for any person to contravene a prohibition imposed by this Order. The maximum penalties are specified by section 11 of that Act. On summary conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding £50,000. On conviction on indictment, the maximum penalty is an unlimited fine.

Offences created by this instrument

What Parliament said about it

Hansard was searched for this instrument by name and returned nothing. That is the ordinary outcome: an instrument laid under the negative procedure is usually never debated, and becomes law without a word said about it in either House.

How Parliament handled it

Parliament's Statutory Instruments service has no record of this instrument, although it covers the period. Nothing is inferred from that.

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