CAUGHT

Closed area · Scottish Government (Marine Scotland)

Wyville-Thomson Ridge SAC 2nd Area (Offshore Fishing Order 2025)

Demersal (seabed) fishing prohibited

Offshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2025 · in force since 2025-10-16

The closure boundary as published in the source dataset, simplified for display. Basemap © Esri, HERE, Garmin, OpenStreetMap contributors.

What the rule actually says

A CAUGHT review has read the instrument behind this closure, rather than relying on the summary published with the boundary. Where the two differ, the instrument governs; this reading was made on 2026-09-06.

What is prohibited

fishing for sea fish with demersal mobile gear AND with demersal static gear

In summary

DEMERSAL STATIC GEAR IS PROHIBITED HERE TOO, so creeling is an offence in this area. Article 21(2) prohibits demersal static gear in addition to demersal mobile gear, and article 2 of the Order defines demersal static gear to include creels, pots and traps. That is unusual among the inshore and offshore closures, most of which reach towed gear only and leave static gear lawful.

As published with the boundary

Demersal mobile gear and demersal static gear prohibited.

Summary as published in the source dataset, shown for comparison. A dataset paraphrase can be narrower or wider than the instrument it summarises, and finding out which is the work above.

What is prohibited
Demersal (seabed) fishing prohibited
Authority
Scottish Government (Marine Scotland)
Instrument
Offshore Fishing (Prohibition of Fishing Methods) (Scotland) Order 2025
Type
Byelaw/ Regulation
In force since
2025-10-16
Area
2 km²

What satellites have recorded here

No cases have been recorded in this closure. That is not a finding that nothing happens here — it means our sweeps have not flagged anything inside these boundaries, and coverage depends on satellite passes and on vessels being tracked at all.

What a case here means. A CAUGHT case is a reason to look, not a verdict. Each one is judged on three independent factors — was it fishing, here and then; what gear does the vessel actually use; and what was prohibited there at that time — and the weakest of the three decides. Most cases are resolved.

Boundaries and rule summaries come from the published datasets named at the foot of this page and can contain errors; the legislation is the authority. If you believe this closure is described wrongly, tell us at contact@caught.org.uk.