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ISRA FACTSHEETS

EUROPEAN ATLANTIC

ISRA FACTSHEETS

EUROPEAN ATLANTIC

East Shetland Channel ISRA

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East Shetland Channel ISRA

East Shetland Channel

Summary

East Shetland Channel is situated in the northern North Sea, off the southeastern coast of the Shetland Isles within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The area is characterised by sandy, shelly, and muddy substrates. It is influenced by the southward-flowing Atlantic Water Current. Within this area there are: threatened species and reproductive areas (Thorny Skate Amblyraja radiata).

East Shetland Channel

East Shetland Channel

DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT

East Shetland Channel is situated in the northern North Sea, off the southeastern coast of the Shetland Isles within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The area is characterised by sandy, shelly, and muddy substrates, north of the Fladen Grounds (GPS Nautical Charts 2025). It is influenced by southward flowing Atlantic Water Current (Marine Scotland Assessment 2025).

This Important Shark and Ray Area is benthic and subsurface and is delineated from 120–150 m based on the depth range of Qualifying Species in the area.

CRITERION A

VULNERABILITY

One Qualifying Species considered threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species regularly occurs in the area. This is the Vulnerable Thorny Skate (Kulka et al. 2020).

CRITERION C

SUB-CRITERION C1 – REPRODUCTIVE AREAS

East Shetland Channel is an important reproductive area for one ray species.

Annual surveys were undertaken in this area between 2010–2024 as part of the North Sea International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS; ICES 2025). During this period, 109 Thorny Skates were recorded across nearly all survey years of the IBTS (between 1–17 per year). Of these, 28 neonate/young-of-the-year (YOY) Thorny Skates were caught within this area, measuring ≤14 cm total length (TL). Thorny Skate hatch at ~10 cm TL, and individuals up to 14 cm TL are considered YOY (Ellis et al. 2024). Neonate/YOY Thorny Skates were reported in 2010 (n = 3), 2012 (n = 2), 2014 (n = 1), 2015 (n = 5), 2016 (n = 3), 2017 (n = 5), 2018 (n = 3), and 2021 (n = 6). Between 2014–2017, Thorny Skate egg cases caught in the IBTS were retained for identification and analysis by the Shark Trust. Overall, 63 Thorny Skate egg cases were recorded in 2014 (n = 9), 2015 (n = 16), 2016 (n = 7), and 2017 (n = 31) (Shark Trust unpubl. data 2025). The design of the IBTS reduces the catchability of smaller rays, such as Thorny Skates (Walker et al. 2017). Despite this, this area has the highest number of neonate/YOY observations of the species within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This area also has the most regular and predictable observations, with records from seven contemporary years.

East Shetland Channel

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