Sectoral marine plan for offshore wind energy: social and economic impact assessment scoping report
Sets out the methodology and scenarios for scoping and undertaking a socio-economic impact assessment.
A.2. Aquaculture
A.2.1 Sector Definition
This sector relates to the sea-based production of finfish, shellfish and seaweed within aquaculture installations, including cultivated beds of shellfish.
A.2.2 Overview of Activity
Marine (sea-based) aquaculture in Scotland is concentrated on the west coast of the mainland and in the Western Isles, Orkney Islands and Shetland Islands. Installations are normally positioned in sea lochs, voes and inlets (Scotland's Aquaculture, 2015). While a number of marine finfish species are farmed in Scotland (including rainbow trout, halibut and Arctic charr), the industry is dominated by Atlantic salmon production (95% of finfish production in 2015), with 171,722 tonnes of salmon produced in 2015 with a value of £637 million ( HIE and SAIC, 2017). Mussels and Pacific oysters are the main species of shellfish produced in terms of both volume and value. In total, 7,270 tonnes of mussels and 2.7 million Pacific oysters were produced in 2015 and the value at first sale for all species (including native oysters and king and queen scallops) was £10.1 million (Marine Scotland, 2016). Although there is interest and research into the viability of cultivating seaweed for bioenergy production in Scotland, at present, there is no commercial scale cultivation of seaweed. As such, seaweed is not considered further in this study.
There is strong government support for the expansion of the Scottish aquaculture industry (Black and Hughes, 2017) and the industry has ambition to grow aquaculture production to 350,000 tonnes for marine finfish (approximately double the average harvest for 2014/2015) and 21,000 tonnes for mussels (a 133% increase on the average harvest for 2014/2015 harvest) by 2030 (Black and Hughes, 2017; HIE and SAIC, 2017). How expansion of the industry is achieved ( e.g. via expansion of on-shore, near-shore and/or offshore aquaculture) and to what extent these ambitions are realised will depend on numerous factors including the level of social acceptance of aquaculture, markets and economics, availability of marine space at sites with suitable environmental conditions and technological developments, including in relation to offshore aquaculture in more exposed locations. Future potential scenarios for aquaculture in Scotland, or the UK (including Scotland), have been explored in a number of studies for example Black and Hughes (2017), HIE and Marine Scotland (2017) and Celtic Seas Partnership (2016).
Figure A.2.1 shows an overview of aquaculture activity in Scotland. Information sources that can be used in the assessment are listed in Table A.2.1.
Figure A.2.1 Active finfish and shellfish aquaculture sites in Scotland
Table.A.2.1 Information sources for the aquaculture sector
| Data Available | Information Source |
|---|---|
| Location of aquaculture farms in Scotland | Scottish Government ( NMPi) (2016) https://marinescotland.atkinsgeospatial.com/nmpi/ |
| Volume and value of finfish production in Scotland | Scottish finfish farm production survey http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Fish-Shellfish/FHI/surveys |
| Volume and value of finfish production in Scotland | Scottish shellfish farm production survey http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Fish-Shellfish/FHI/surveys |
| Future trends | Black and Hughes (2017) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/635209/Future_of_the_sea_-_trends_in_aquaculture_FINAL_NEW.pdf |
| Highlands and Islands Enterprise ( HIE) and Marine Scotland (2017) http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Publications/TopicSheets/tslist/aquavalue |
|
| Celtic Seas Partnership (2016) http://futuretrends.celticseaspartnership.eu/ |
A.2.3 Potential Interactions with Offshore Wind
Table A.2.2 shows potential interaction pathways between aquaculture and offshore wind arrays and export cables. Based on the approach to scoping described in Section 2 in the main report, the table also records whether the interaction:
- Is not likely to result in a significant socio-economic impact on the sector; or
- Is likely to result in a significant socio-economic impact on the sector and hence will require a detailed assessment;
The rationale underlying this expert judgement is provided in the table. Where it is not currently possible to make a judgement regarding the likelihood of a significant socio-economic impact due to insufficient information (for example, in relation to the extent of overlap between a sector activity and the DPO Areas) the table indicates that scoping will be required to be undertaken once sufficient information becomes available. Furthermore, as described in the main report, there is currently no information regarding the likely location of export cable routes/corridors and as such, it is not possible to undertake a meaningful assessment of the potential for any sector activity/export cable interaction to give rise to significant socio-economic effects. Rather, the potential for any interaction will be identified in Regional Locational Guidance.
Table A.2.2 Potential interaction pathways
| Potential Interaction |
Technology Aspect and Phase |
Potential Socio-economic Consequences |
Initial Scoping Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exclusion from sea areas ( i.e. constraints on the development of future aquaculture sites where conditions may be suitable) |
Arrays (construction and operation) |
Reduction in income for aquaculture producers |
Currently, active aquaculture sites are unlikely to overlap with DPO Areas, which will be located further offshore and in more exposed areas compared to current aquaculture site locations. However, the aquaculture sector will look to move further offshore in the future. Assuming that DPOs are not permitted to 'sterilise' large areas of sea-space where conditions may be suitable for other sector activity, it is considered that there is scope to avoid significant interactions between offshore wind and aquaculture through spatial planning. No detailed assessment required. |
| Export cables (construction and operation) |
Reduction in income for aquaculture producers |
Export cable routes are uncertain. Constraints inshore of DPOs will be identified in the RLG. No detailed assessment possible. |
|
| Disturbance or injury to finfish aquaculture species (underwater noise) |
Arrays (construction) |
Reduction in income for aquaculture producers through stress/injury or loss of stock |
Any potentially significant impacts to farmed finfish species would be expected to be minimised through the application of mitigation measures as part of the licensing process. The consequential impacts to aquaculture production businesses are therefore considered to be negligible. No detailed assessment required. |
| Facilitation of the spread of non-native species |
Arrays (construction and maintenance) |
Reduction in income and employment for aquaculture producers through introduction (via vessel movement/ballast water exchange) or facilitation of the spread of non-native species detrimental to the cultivated species or their habitat |
Any potentially significant impacts to farmed species would be expected to be minimised through the application of mitigation measures as part of the licensing process, for example, through the preparation and implementation of biosecurity plans. The consequential impacts to aquaculture production businesses are therefore considered to be negligible. No detailed assessment required. |
| Resuspension of sediments and/or release of contaminants associated with disturbance of sediments |
Arrays (construction) |
Reduced business profitability and income through reduction in water quality, subsequent deterioration of growing conditions (especially shellfish) and/or contaminant uptake by shellfish species |
Any potentially significant impacts to farmed species would be expected to be minimised through the application of mitigation measures as part of the licensing process. The consequential impacts to aquaculture production businesses are therefore considered to be negligible. No detailed assessment required. |
| Export cables (construction) |
Reduced business profitability and income through reduction in water quality, subsequent deterioration of growing conditions (especially shellfish) and/or contaminant uptake by shellfish species |
Any potentially significant impacts to farmed species would be expected to be minimised through the application of mitigation measures as part of the licensing process. The consequential impacts to aquaculture production businesses are therefore considered to be negligible. No detailed assessment required. |
A.2.4 Scoping Methodology
No detailed assessment required.
A.2.5 Data Limitations
There are no major data limitations relating to aquaculture in Scotland.
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