CSCB MCZ Phase 1 Permit Conditions
Eastern IFCA made the Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds Byelaw 2023 at the 51st Eastern IFCA meeting held on 8 March 2023 (Action Item 13). The byelaw is intended to provide a flexible mechanism for managing the Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds MCZ by enabling the Authority to introduce, vary and revoke flexible permit conditions as informed by the project.
Byelaws typically take around two years to come into effect once made and so, whilst the byelaw making process was being undertaken, the Authority also sought to develop management measures which would come into effect as permit conditions once the byelaw is in effect.
The first phase of permit condition development was completed at the 58th Eastern IFCA meeting held on 11 December 2024, at which the phase 1 permit conditions were formally agreed.
Phase 1 permit conditions included two measures which were originally proposed by industry. Phase 2 permit conditions will then seek to further address the risk associated with potting within the MCZ, reducing risk to an acceptable level.
Inshore vessel restriction
The first of the phase 1 measures prohibits fishing with pots within 3 nautical miles of the coast within the East and West boundaries except from vessels which were launched from the beach. It is intended that this measure will mitigate against larger vessels, which are capable of deploying significantly more pots than beach launched vessels, from significantly increasing the level of effort within the MCZ and the rugged chalk area in particular.
Winter closure of the rugged chalk
This measure prohibits fishing within the rugged chalk management area during January and February. The measure is intended to reduce the risk of damage caused by pots when they pose the highest risk of doing so.
During these months, soak times (the length of time pots are left in situ before being hauled and reset) is longer than at other times of the year (more than 3 times longer). This is considered to increase the risk of repeated interaction with the same piece of rugged chalk and therefore increase the likelihood of such interaction causing damage.
Stormy weather is also more likely during this period. Rough seas increase the energy associated with pot movement and increase the likelihood of interaction with rugged chalk translating into damage. This compounds the higher risk associated with the longer soak times.
The rugged chalk management area’ relevant to the winter closure includes only the areas of higher density, more complex rugged chalk (i.e. not all rugged chalk within the site). This is on the basis that the risk of damage being caused to the less dense, lower complexity rugged chalk areas as not being sufficient to warrant closure over winter.
Wording of the permit conditions
The full wording of the permit conditions, including charts and coordinates of the measures, will be made available shortly and before the measures come into effect.
Development of the measures
Development of these measures was informed by three different consultations. The outcome documents for these consultation which detail how the views of stakeholders were taken into account are at the links below.
The measures were also the subject of an Impact Assessment which considered the potential for the measures to impact on businesses and the potential benefit of the measures, which informed the final decision on the measures. The Impact Assessment is also available at the link below.