Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 Aquaculture and Fisheries Bill Consultation Document Environmental Report February 2012

14.0 SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

14.1 The proposed provisions set out in the Bill consultation document cover a wide range of issues in the aquaculture, freshwater and sea fisheries sectors. The proposals that were scoped into the assessment cover the following topics:

• sustainable development of aquaculture;
• fish farming and wild salmonid interactions; and
• improving salmon and freshwater fisheries management.

14.2 These include:

• powers around the adoption of Farm Management Agreements, for example a legal duty for all finfish farm operators to enter into a Farm Management;
• powers to require collection and provision of data on sea-lice, fish mortality, movements, disease, treatment and production;
• powers to alter biomass consents;
• powers for additional controls on discharges from wellboats and farmed fish processing plants;
• powers to prescribe lower sea-lice thresholds above which measures need to be taken;
• powers to require finfish farms to use equipment that conforms to a Scottish Technical Standard;
• powers regarding salmon conservation measures; and
• powers to recall, restrict or exclude the jurisdiction of DSFBs to license the introduction of salmonids in their District, in certain circumstances.

14.3 Overall, the proposed provisions in the Bill consultation document are expected to have benefits for wild salmonid populations, through:

• the improved control of sea-lice and/or pathogens. This is likely to reduce the exposure of wild salmonids to sea-lice and/or pathogens.
• the improved containment of farmed fish, which would result in reduced escapes of farmed fish. This is likely to have benefits for wild salmonids, by reducing the risk of inter-breeding and competition for resources.
• improved salmon and freshwater fisheries management will likely enhance efforts to conserve wild salmon.

14.4 The results of the assessment are summarised in Table 5. Further details are provided in the following paragraphs.

14.5 The measures relating to Farm Management Agreements would make these mandatory, building on the practices set out in the "Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture". Although the majority of fish farms currently work with Farm Management Agreements, this would result in coordination of management practices, sharing of information and appropriate delineation of boundaries. Taken together A key outcome would be the improved control of sea-lice and pathogens, thereby reducing the risk of unacceptable sea-lice burdens and the spread of disease (with a consequent reduction in the use of therapeutants). This would benefit wild salmonid populations.

Table 5. Results of the Assessment

14.6 The proposals for provision of data are intended to identify treatment/efficacy failures at an early stage and facilitate mitigation and/or remediation measures. A key outcome would be the improved control of sea-lice and pathogens, thereby benefitting wild salmonid populations.

14.7 The proposed powers to reduce biomass consent are intended to link licensed biomass for a site with the required volume of therapeutant, to manage sea-lice and pathogens. Improved control would benefit wild salmonid populations as well as farmed fish.

14.8 Proposed powers to place additional controls on discharges from wellboats are intended to control the discharge of sea-lice and pathogens, which would benefit wild salmonid populations as well as farmed fish.

14.9 Proposed powers to place controls on discharges from plants processing farmed fish are intended to control the discharge of sea-lice and pathogens, which would benefit wild salmonid populations as well as farmed fish.

14.10 Proposed powers to prescribe lower sea-lice thresholds above which measures need to be taken: the sea-lice management regime and treatment triggers are included in the "Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture". In some circumstances this management regime may be insufficient; this intervention is intended to target necessary responses to particular circumstances, thereby reducing the risk of unacceptable sea-lice burdens. In consequence, it should have benefits for wild salmonids as well as for farmed fish.

14.11 The proposed power to require finfish farms to use equipment that conforms to a Scottish Technical Standard is intended to improve containment and reduce escapes, thereby reducing the risk of competition, displacement and inter-breeding, with benefits for wild salmonid populations.

14.12 Proposed powers to improve salmon and freshwater fisheries management include: to change Salmon District Annual Close Time Orders; to promote combined salmon conservation measures; to attach conditions to statutory conservation measures; and to require provision of comprehensive effort (catch) data on rod fisheries. These measures are intended to enhance capacity for management of wild fisheries in general and stocks in particular. This would have benefits for wild salmonid populations.

14.13 In addition, powers to recall, restrict or exclude the jurisdiction of District Salmon Fishery Boards to license the introduction of salmonids in their District are intended to control introductions and further protect biodiversity, in particular reducing the risk of competition, displacement and inter-breeding, with consequent benefits for wild salmonids.

Cumulative Effects Assessment

14.14 As noted in Paragraph 3.15, cumulative and synergistic effects have been considered in terms of those arising from finfish farms, wellboats and farmed fish processing plants on wild salmonids. Given the nature of the proposed provisions, this has been undertaken as a high-level assessment.

14.15 As noted in the preceding paragraphs, the operation of finfish aquaculture farms and discharges from wellboats and farmed fish processing plants may result in increased levels of sea-lice and/or pathogens in the marine environment. Cumulatively, these may have an adverse effect on wild salmonids (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Potential cumulative effects of finfish aquaculture and salmon conservation measures on biodiversity: baseline

14.16 Taken together, the proposed provisions for enhanced controls on finfish aquaculture and additional controls on discharges from wellboats and farmed fish processing plants are likely to result in reduced levels of sea-lice and/or pathogens in the marine environment. This is likely to have a cumulative benefit for wild salmonids.

14.17 Similarly, taken together, the proposals to improve existing salmon and freshwater fisheries management will likely enhance efforts to conserve wild salmon. This is also likely to have a cumulative benefit for wild salmonids (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Potential cumulative effects of finfish aquaculture and salmon conservation measures on biodiversity: with proposed provisions