Publication - Impact assessment

Planning Scotland's Seas: 2013 - The Scottish Marine Protected Area Project – Developing the Evidence Base for Impact Assessments and the Sustainability Appraisal Final Report - Appendix E - Marine Site Reports

Published: 19 August 2013
Topic: Marine and fisheries
ISBN: 9781782567585

This is Appendix E for the pMPA Impact and Sustainability Report containing the detailed site by site reports. Published separately due to size.

Supporting documents

East Caithness Cliffs ( ECC)

Site Area (km ²): 117

Site Summary

Table 1. Summary of Proposed Protected Features, Data Confidence and Conservation Objectives					[ ECC]
Proposed protected features
Biodiversity Features Black guillemot. Geodiversity Features None. Site Description The East Caithness Cliffs MPA proposal is located on the east coast of Caithness and represents important breeding and foraging areas for black guillemots. The proposal boundary mirrors the East Caithness Cliffs SPA, extending 2km out to sea from the cliffs.
Summary of confidence in presence, extent and condition of proposed protected features and conservation objectives
Proposed Protected Feature	Estimated Area of Feature (by scenario) (km ²)	Confidence in Feature Presence	Confidence in Feature Extent	Confidence in Feature Condition	Conservation Objective and Risk
Biodiversity Features
Black guillemot	*Lower: 116.93 Intermediate: 116.93 Upper: 116.93	Yes (Seabird 2000 census)	Yes	Not known	Conserve (uncertain)
Geodiversity Features
N/A
Key: * Estimated area based on best available data References: Area of Feature: GeMs Confidence in feature presence and extent: SNH (2012b)

Summary of Costs and Benefits

Table 2a. Site-Specific Economic Costs on Human Activities arising from the Designation and Management of the Site as an MPA (present value of total costs over 2014 to 2033 inclusive)			[ ECC]
Human Activity	Cost Impact on Activity
Human Activity	Lower Estimate (£Million)	Intermediate Estimate (£Million)	Upper Estimate (£Million)
Quantified Economic Costs (Discounted)
Military	See national costs	See national costs	See national costs
Ports and Harbours	0.019	0.019	0.019
Total Quantified Economic Costs	0.019	0.019	0.019
Non-Quantified Economic Costs
Military	See national assessment.	See national assessment.	See national assessment.
Ports and Harbours	Costs of project delays during consenting; risk of deterrent to investment.	Costs of project delays during consenting; risk of deterrent to investment.	Costs of project delays during consenting; risk of deterrent to investment.
Note: For detailed information on economic cost impacts on activities, see Table 4.

Table 2b. Site-Specific Public Sector Costs arising from the Designation and Management of the Site as an MPA (over 2014 to 2033 inclusive)			[ ECC]
Description	Public Sector Costs
Description	Lower Estimate (£Million)	Intermediate Estimate (£Million)	Upper Estimate (£Million)
Quantified Public Sector Costs (Discounted)
Preparation of Marine Management Schemes	None	None	None
Preparation of Statutory Instruments	None	None	None
Development of voluntary measures	National assessment	National assessment	National assessment
Site monitoring	National assessment	National assessment	National assessment
Compliance and enforcement	National assessment	National assessment	National assessment
Promotion of public understanding	National assessment	National assessment	National assessment
Regulatory and advisory costs associated with licensing decisions	0.002	0.002	0.002
Total Quantified Public Sector Costs	0.002	0.002	0.002
Non-Quantified Public Sector Costs
None identified.

Table 2c. Summary of Social Impacts and Distribution of Quantified Impacts arising from the Designation and Management of the Site as an MPA (over 2014 to 2033 inclusive)										[ ECC]
Key Areas of Social Impact	Description	Scale of Expected Impact across Scenarios, Average (mean no. of jobs affected)	Distributional Analysis
			Location			Fishing Groups Predominantly Affected		Social Groups Affected
			Region	Port	Rural/ Urban/ Island	Gear Types Most Affected	Vessels most affected	Crofters	Ethnic minorities	With disability or long term sick
No social impacts are expected.

Table 2d. Site-Specific Benefits arising from the Designation and Management of the Site as an MPA (over 2014 to 2033 inclusive)		[ ECC]
Benefit	Description
Ecosystem Services Benefits (Moderate and High Benefits)	Relevance	Scale of Benefits
Non-use value of natural environment	Low	Low - Moderate
Other Benefits
Tourism	Higher biodiversity due to designation, and presence of designations, may attract more tourism activity to local economy.
Contribution to ecologically coherent network	See report Section 7.5
Note: For detailed information on ecosystem services benefits, see Tables 9 and 10. For detailed information on other benefits, see Table 5 (activities that would benefit) and Table 8 (contribution to ecologically-coherent network).

Summary of Overlaps and Interactions between Proposed Designated Features and Human Activities

Table 3. Overlaps and Potential Interactions between Features and Activities under different Scenarios, indicating need for Assessment of Cost Impacts on Human Activities from Designation of the Site as an MPA																	[ ECC]
	Aggregates	Aquaculture (Finfish)	Aquaculture (Shellfish)	Aviation	Carbon Capture & Storage	Coastal Protection	Commercial Fisheries	Energy Generation	Military Activities	Oil & Gas	Ports & Harbours	Power Interconnectors	Recreational Boating	Shipping	Telecom Cables	Tourism	Water Sports
Biodiversity Features
Black guillemot	-	-	-	-	-	-	L/I/U	-	L/I/U	L/I/U	L/ I/ U	L/I/U	L/I/U	-	-	L/I/U	L/I/U
Geodiversity Features
N/A
Note: L = Lower Scenario; I = Intermediate Scenario; U = Upper Scenario. Normal font indicates that there is an overlap between the activity and proposed designated feature under that scenario, bold indicates that the overlap results in a potential interaction between the activity and proposed designated feature that has resulted in cost impacts under that scenario. For detail of management measures assessed under each scenario for each activity, and results of the cost estimates, see Table 4.

Human Activity Summaries

Human activities that would be impacted by designation of the site as an MPA

Table 4a. Military			[ ECC]
Three military practice areas (Wick (X5819) rifle area; and two firing and danger areas (Tain firing and bombing range and X5819)) overlap with the Black Guillemot feature of the ECC proposed MPA under all scenarios (lower, intermediate and upper). The features and associated habitats which overlap with military activities have not been described as vulnerable to MoD activities in this proposed MPA. It is assumed that management relating to MoD activity will be coordinated through the MoD's Maritime Environmental Sustainability Appraisal Tool ( MESAT) which the MoD uses to assist in meeting its environmental obligations. This process will include operational guidance to reduce significant impacts of military activities on MPAs. It is assumed that the MoD will incur additional costs in adjusting MESAT and other MoD environmental assessment tools in order to consider whether its activities will impact on the conservation objectives of MPAs and also incur additional costs in adjusting electronic charts to consider MPAs. However, these costs will be incurred at national level and hence no site-specific cost assessments have been made.
Economic Costs on the Activity of Designation of the Site as an MPA
	Lower Estimate	Intermediate Estimate	Upper Estimate
Assumptions for cost impacts	See National Assessment.	See National Assessment.	See National Assessment.
Description of one-off costs
Description of recurring costs
Description of non-quantified costs
Quantified Costs on the Activity of Designation of the Site as an MPA (£Million)
Total costs (2014-2033)	See national costs	See national costs	See national costs
Average annual costs	See national costs	See national costs	See national costs
Present value of total costs (2014-2033)	See national costs	See national costs	See national costs
Total costs = Sum of one-off costs and recurring costs for the site summed over the 20 year period. Average annual costs = Total costs divided by the total number of years under analysis ( i.e. 20). Present value of total costs = Total costs discounted to their current value, using a discount rate of 3.5%.

Table 4b. Ports and Harbours			[ ECC]
There are four ports/harbours (Whaligoe, Dunbeath, Latheronwheel and Lybster) within the ECC proposed MPA boundary. All four ports/harbours overlaps the MPA feature black guillemot under all scenarios. Therefore, management costs may be incurred under the assumption that small ports/harbours will undergo one new development within the relevant time frame (2014-2033), assumed for the year 2024.
Economic Costs on the Activity of Designation of the Site as an MPA
	Lower Estimate	Intermediate Estimate	Upper Estimate
Assumptions for cost impacts	Additional licensing costs for small port developments (up to 4 in total).	Additional licensing costs for small port developments (up to 4 in total).	Additional licensing costs for small port developments (up to 4 in total).
Description of one-off costs	Additional assessment costs for licence application - £6.75k per licence application. Application estimated for submission in 2024 (Whaligoe, Dunbeath, Latheronwheel and Lybster).	Additional assessment costs for licence application - £6.75k per licence application. Application estimated for submission in 2024 (Whaligoe, Dunbeath, Latheronwheel and Lybster).	Additional assessment costs for licence application - £6.75k per licence application. Application estimated for submission in 2024 (Whaligoe, Dunbeath, Latheronwheel and Lybster).
Description of recurring costs	None.	None.	None.
Description of non-quantified costs	Costs of project delays during consenting; risk of deterrent to investment.	Costs of project delays during consenting; risk of deterrent to investment.	Costs of project delays during consenting; risk of deterrent to investment.
Quantified Costs on the Activity of Designation of the Site as an MPA (£Million)
Total costs (2014-2033)	0.027	0.027	0.027
Average annual costs	0.001	0.001	0.001
Present value of total costs (2014-2033)	0.019	0.019	0.019
Total costs = Sum of one-off costs and recurring costs for the site summed over the 20 year period. Average annual costs = Total costs divided by the total number of years under analysis ( i.e. 20). Present value of total costs = Total costs discounted to their current value, using a discount rate of 3.5%.

Human activities that would benefit from designation of the site as an MPA

Table 5. Human Activities that would Benefit from Designation of the Site as an MPA				[ ECC]
Activity	Description	Lower Estimate	Intermediate Estimate	Upper Estimate
Tourism	Coastal areas are well represented when considering the locations of various tourist related sites within Scotland with a range of site types present in all regions including the North East. Where significant impacts to recreational boating or water sports have been identified for the site, there could also be consequential impacts on tourism.	Tourism may benefit from the designation of the MPA as an added attraction to the destination. In addition, there may also be indirect benefits to tourism as a result of benefits to some water sports activities, for example, recreational angling and diving.	The intermediate management measures applied to sector activities will result in an increase of the beneficial impacts seen in the lower estimate.	The upper management measures applied to sector activities will result in an increase of the beneficial impacts seen in the lower and intermediate estimates.
Water Sports - Sea Angling	Sea angling is carried out along most of the Scottish coastline within 6nm ( SSACN). ECC proposed MPA is a coastal site and is located wholly within 6nm of the UK coastline. Therefore sea angling overlaps with all features and there corresponding extents within the proposed MPA. No management restrictions upon this activity are required.	Sea anglers could benefit from any on-site positive effects resulting from the MPA designation and corresponding management restrictions on sector activities including an increase in the size and diversity of species which in turn is expected to increase the attraction of a site for anglers (Fletcher et al. 2012).	The intermediate management measures applied to sector activities will result in an increase of the beneficial impacts seen in the lower estimate.	The upper management measures applied to sector activities will result in an increase of the beneficial impacts seen in the lower and intermediate estimates.
Water Sports - Scuba diving	There is one shore dive site (Trinkie) located within ECC proposed MPA. The dive site overlaps with the lower, intermediate and upper scenarios for Black Guillemot. No management restrictions upon this activity are required.	The added protection offered by an MPA designation and management measures placed upon sector activities may increase the aesthetic attraction of the dive sites through an improved marine ecosystem.	The intermediate management measures applied to sector activities will result in an increase of the beneficial impacts seen in the lower estimate.	The upper management measures applied to sector activities will result in an increase of the beneficial impacts seen in the lower and intermediate estimates.

Human activities that are present but which would be unaffected by designation of the site as an MPA

Table 6. Human Activities that are Present but which would be Unaffected by Designation of the Site as an MPA [ ECC]
Activity	Description
Commercial Fisheries	Dredges and otter trawls (over-15m) and pots, nephrops trawls, other trawls, dredges and other gears (under-15m vessel) operate within the ECC proposed MPA. The value of landings from the ECC area was £26,600 (over-15m vessels) and £98,400 (under-15m vessels, indicated from ICES rectangle landings data) (annual average for 2007-2011, 2012 prices). Landings from the over-15m vessels are into Wick (79% by value), Macduff (7%) and Fraserburgh (6%). VMS data indicate that there are no non- UK vessels fishing within the ECC proposed MPA. Provisional ScotMap data indicate that the annual average earnings from the ECC proposed MPA was £292,700, with over 90% from pots (predominantly for brown crab). The coverage for ScotMap interviews in the region was 66.4% (total value of reported landings from the Fisheries Information Network for those vessels included in the ScotMap value analysis expressed as a percentage of the total reported landings for all vessels <15m). Therefore the ScotMap estimate is likely to under-represent the value of fishing by under-15m vessels, and the spatial representation of the value of fishing is less robust than in regions where coverage is higher. Black guillemot, the proposed designated biodiversity feature for the site, are not thought to be sensitive or vulnerable to pressures from fishing gears, therefore no management measures for fisheries are proposed and no cost impacts are anticipated.
Oil and Gas	Within the ECC proposed MPA, there are a number of overlaps with oil and gas activity and the extents of features proposed for designation. Under all scenarios, seven wells overlap with the feature extent for the 'black guillemot' within the 1km buffer zone, as well as two licensed blocks and one hydrocarbon field; the Lybster oil field. However, no oil and gas infrastructure is located within the proposed MPA - extraction from the Lybster oil field occurs on land. SNH currently advise that there are no activities currently considered to be a risk to black guillemot within the ECC proposed MPA, and it is unlikely that the MPA would lead to management over and above that already required for the SPA on land.
Power Interconnectors	One consented power interconnector (Caithness-Moray HVDC Reinforcement) overlaps with the ECC proposed MPA. The power interconnector overlaps with Black Guillemot (all scenarios). No cost impacts are foreseen, as it is assumed that there will be no review of the existing consents.
Recreational Boating	There are four cruising routes that intersect the ECC proposed MPA boundary; all of which are medium traffic routes. All routes overlap with the lower, intermediate and upper scenarios of the feature extents for black guillemot, although cruising routes are not expected to require additional management measures. Two Crown Estate moorings are present within the proposed MPA that overlap with black guillemot, although black guillemot are not considered sensitive to pressures associated with anchoring, and no costs are expected.

Social and Distributional Analysis of Impacts from Designation of the Site as an MPA

Table 7a. Social Impacts Associated with Quantified and Non-Quantified Economic Costs					[ ECC]
Sector	Potential Economic Impacts	Economic Costs and GVA ( PV)	Area of Social Impact Affected	Mitigation	Significance of Social impact
None identified.
Impacts: xxx - significant negative effect; xx - possible negative effects; x - minimal negative effect, if any; 0 - no noticeable effect expected.

Table 7b. Distribution of Quantified Economic Costs for Commercial Fisheries and Fish Processors (assuming zero displacement of fishing activity) - Location, Age and Gender								[ ECC]
Sector/Impact	Location			Age			Gender
Sector/Impact	Region	Ports	Rural, Urban, Coastal or Island	Children	Working Age	Pensionable Age	Male	Female
None identified.
Impacts: xxx - significant negative effect; xx - possible negative effects; x - minimal negative effect, if any; 0 - no noticeable effect expected.

Table 7c. Distribution of Quantified Economic Costs for Commercial Fisheries and Fish Processors (assuming zero displacement of fishing activity) - Fishing Groups, Income Groups and Social Groups								[ ECC]
Sector/Impact	Fishing Groups		Income Groups			Social Groups
Sector/Impact	Vessel Category <15m >15m	Gear Types/Sector	10% Most Deprived	Middle 80%	10% Most Affluent	Crofters	Ethnic minorities	With Disability or Long-term Sick
None identified.
Impacts: xxx - significant negative effect; xx - possible negative effects; x - minimal negative effect, if any; 0 - no noticeable effect expected.

Potential Contribution of the Site to an Ecologically-Coherent Network

Table 8. Overview of Features Proposed for Designation and how these contribute to an Ecologically Coherent Network of MPAs					[ ECC]
Feature Name	Representation	Replication	Linkages	Geographic Range and Variation	Resilience
Black guillemot	Provides representation of black guillemot in OSPAR Region II.	One of six potential MPAs recommended for black guillemot.	Not currently understood for black guillemot.	Represents the only significant colony on the Scottish east coast. The recommended MPA areas would reflect the geographic range and variation of black guillemot and the environments in which they are present.	Although not listed by OSPAR as threatened and/or declining, there is evidence of decline. The potential MPA areas may increase resilience.
JNCC (pers. comm.); SNH and JNCC. (2012). Assessment of the potential adequacy of the Scottish MPA network for MPA search features: summary of the application of the stage 5 selection guidelines. Available online from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marine-environment/mpanetwork/engagement/270612.

Anticipated Benefits to Ecosystem Services

Table 9. Summary of Ecosystem Services Benefits arising from Designation of the Site as an MPA ^[2]								[ ECC]
Services	Relevance to Site	Baseline Level	Estimated Impacts of Designation			Value Weighting	Scale of Benefits	Confidence
Services	Relevance to Site	Baseline Level	Lower	Intermediate	Upper	Value Weighting	Scale of Benefits	Confidence
Fish for human consumption	Moderate. Habitats make contribution to food webs.	Stocks not at MSY	Nil	Nil	Nil	Low. Site fishing grounds have low value	Nil	High
Fish for non-human consumption	Moderate. Habitats make contribution to food webs.	Stocks reduced from potential maximum	Nil	Nil	Nil	Low. Site fishing grounds have low value	Nil	High
Gas and climate regulation	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil	Moderate	Nil	High
Natural hazard protection	Minimal	Low	Nil			Low	Nil	High
Regulation of pollution	Minimal	Low	Nil	Nil		Low - Moderate, for recreational use of waters	Nil	High
Non-use value of natural environment	Low - protected feature, and contribution of the site to MPA network, have non-use value.	Non-use value of the site may decline, but probably stable	Nil, no change in key characteristics of site	Low - protection of feature of site from minor decline	Moderate - protection of feature of site from decline, possibly allowing some recovery	Low, Although black guillemot is charismatic species, it is site's only feature	Low - Moderate	Moderate
Recreation	Low	1 active dive site	Nil	Minimal - slightly higher biodiversity encountered by divers and boating		Low	Minimal	Moderate
Research and Education	Minimal	Nil - Low	Nil	Minimal		Low	Minimal	Moderate
Total value of changes in ecosystem services			Nil for lower scenario, Minimal for upper scenarios				Low	Moderate

Human Activities which Occur within the Proposed MPA East Caithness Cliffs

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East Caithness Cliffs ( ECC)

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