Topic summary
Rockall Plateau
57°00′N17°00′W / 57.0°N 17.0°W The Rockall Plateau is a bathymetric high west of Scotland and Ireland that forms a major part of the Rockall–Porcupine margin. Its southeastern margin is formed by the Rockall Trough and its northwestern margin by the Iceland Basin of the northern Atlantic Ocean. The plateau has been an important area for fisheries for at least 200 years, although the level of fishing effort has varied greatly over time. The earliest records show that Atlantic cod was initially an important catch, followed by haddock and more recently blue whiting, monkfish and megrim as well. Protected areas have been put in place in several locations over the plateau, following the discovery of damage caused by bottom trawling for such demersal species.