Black Seabream Fisheries

Managing Black Seabream as a Designated Feature of MCZs

The MCZ Assessments underpinning the management of BSB in the Purbeck Coast MCZ, Poole Rocks MCZ and Southbourne Rough MCZ concluded that appropriate mitigative measures already in place or developed as part of this process provide a combination of spatial and technical statutory mechanisms, including the update to the BTFG Byelaw 2023, which are collectively furthering the Conservation Objectives relevant to BSB. These measurse are also providing protection to BSB beyond the three MCZs collective footprint, at a temporal scale beyond that of the breeding season. As such, these statutory measures are providing protection to BSB nesting sites and populations at a level which exceeds the scope of the Conservation Objectives and satisfy the Primary Policy Objective for the development of management for BSB.

The statutory measures which manage black seabream as a designated feature of the thre MCZs are:

• Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2023 - this byelaw eliminates BTFG activity across the entirety of Poole Rocks MCZ (whole site) and Southbourne Rough (whole site) and via a BTFG spatial closure across 93% of the Purbeck Coast MCZ, thus removing the highest risk fishing activity almost in its entirety across the three Dorset MCZs.
• Minimum Conservation Reference Size Byelaw - the enforcement of a minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) of 23cm is delivered at a District wide level, applicable to all commercial and recreational users as well as the wider supply chain.
• Spatial Restrictions via an Exclusion Zone - this applies in the Purbeck Coast MCZ, which equates to quantifiable closures for c.32% of the breeding season, across c.33% of the MCZ (which can be extended to c.54%), as enforced by the Ministry of Defence, applied to all gear types (commercial and recreational) via closures applicable to all sea users.

In combination, these measures are furthering the Conservation Objectives for BSB across the Purbeck Coast MCZ, Poole Rocks MCZ and Southbourne Rough MCZ and accordingly will not hinder the achievement of the Conservation Objectives, thus satisfying the Primary Policy Objective in accordance with Section 154 legal duties under MaCAA.

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Black Seabream Management Package Process Documents

There are three Process Documents which provide detail of management intentions as part of the Black Seabream Management Package. These documents collectively seek to provide clarity of intention and process which has underpinned the development of the Management Package, giving a transparent and comprehensive overview of how management tools ensure that Southern IFCA is able to meet its legal duties under the MaCAA for the two defined Policy Objectives for management development.

Process Document 1 - Delivering Policy Objectives
Providing detail of Southern IFCA's delivery under each Policy Objective, providing the scope, legislative underpinning under MaCAA, focus areas/drivers/objectives and management tools. For each Policy Objective it is outlined how the Authority has satisfied the Policy Objective in delivering managment. 

Process Document 2 - Decision Making & Roadmap
Providing detail on understanding the brief to inform decision making, the process followed by the Authority in developing the BSB Management Package and how this led to the development of management tools under each Policy Objective and how each Policy Objective is therefore satisfied.

Process Document 3 - Management Tools, Application & Review
Outlining the detail of management tools which support BSB fisheries within the three Dorset MCZs with detail on the scope of management tools and the provisions each tool provides, defined by the relevant Policy Objectives. Detail is also given on monitoring compliance, data collection and the process by which a review will be used to ensure an adaptive management approach.

To support the MCZ Assessments for the three Dorset MCZs and to inform and support understandings of BSB biology, ecology and fisheries supporting documents were developed:

Black Seabream Literature Review
This document uses the best available evidence, namely peer reviewed papers and reports, with a focus on the most relevant sources in relation to the location and date publisehd, to ensure that sound scientific evidence is used to inform assessments of BSB in relation to fishing activities.

Black Seabream Site Specific Evidence Packages
This document provides site specific evidence for each of the three Dorset MCZs, including feature location & extent, levels of fishing activity and additional data sources on landings, which have been used as one source of best available evidence to inform the MCZ Assessments for each site for relevant fishing activity. 

The Process Documents and Supporting Documents are designed to be read in conjunction with one another, providing detail of how, in satisfying both Policy Objectives, via the application of dual legislative function, and in unification of the resulting management solutions applicable to each, Southern IFCA, with the support of the Dorset Community, are collectively championing a proportionate management approach which fundamentally seeks to improve understandings of BSB populations, information which is vital in current and future approaches to sustaining BSB fisheries across the three Dorset MCZs and beyond. The approach allows ongoing management to be based on improved evidence as supported and informed via ongoing co-development with the community, the holistic approach providing not only a solution to the primary legislative driver (MaCAA Section 154) but also facilitates hollistic approaches which remain true to the wider functions of the Southern IFCA, as specified under MaCAA Section 153.

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