7.0 Marine Biodiversity
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Replacement Linkspan, Fishguard Port 7.0 MARINE BIODIVERSITY 7.1 Introduction This chapter provides an assessment of the potential significant effects of the proposed development on marine ecology receptors. The following marine ecology receptors have been considered as part of the assessment: - Nature conservation protected habitats and species; - Benthic habitats and species (including non-native species); - Plankton; - Fish and shellfish species; and - Marine mammals. In outline, the structure of the chapter is as follows: - Impact Assessment Approach (Section 7.2): This section includes a review of the study area and the impact assessment methods applied. - Baseline Conditions (Section 7.3): This section describes the ecological and nature conservation character of the areas around the development site. This includes areas which may be directly or indirectly affected by the proposed development. However, it also reviews the characteristics of wider areas across the local region to provide context and to inform the assessment. - Impact Assessment (Section 7.4): This section presents an assessment of the impact significance from the effects that could arise from the proposed development. This assessment is based on information on the proposed development design and baseline environment (see also Section 7.2). - Cumulative and In-combination (Section 7.5): The effects of the proposed development have been considered in conjunction with the potential effects from other plans, projects or activities. - Mitigation Measures and Monitoring (Section 7.6). Where project impacts have been assessed as having a moderate or major significance then mitigation measures are identified. This section includes reference to ‘embedded’ mitigation which form an inherent part of the project as well as to any new mitigation measures which have been identified following this assessment. - Conclusions (Section 7.7): This final section summarises the outcome of the assessment process, including residual effects in the context of any proposed mitigation measures. 7.2 Impact Assessment Approach 7.2.1 Study Area The study area encompasses all ‘impact pathways’ or zones of influence by which the receptors could be affected. The ‘main study area’ encompasses the immediate direct and indirect effects from the proposed development. As determined in the Coastal Processes assessment (Chapter 4 of the ES) the effects on hydrodynamics and sedimentary processes are largely confined to the area within Fishguard Port. However, for some receptors a wider study area has been necessary (e.g. in respect of migratory routes) and these are defined in individual sections where necessary. 7.2.2 Impact Assessment Methodology To facilitate the impact assessment process a standard analysis methodology has been applied. This framework has been developed from a range of sources, including The Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amendment) Regulations 2017, statutory guidance, consultations and ABPmer’s previous (extensive) EIA project experience. The key guidance and regulations that have been drawn upon include: - The criteria listed in Annex III of the EC Environmental Assessment Directive (85/337 EEC as amended by 2014/52/EU); - The assessment process developed by statutory conservation agencies to provide advice on operations within European Marine Sites; and - The principles highlighted in the Charted Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management's (CIEEM) Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment in the UK (CIEEM, Environmental Statement 7/1 April 2018 Replacement Linkspan, Fishguard Port 2006), Guidance on Impact Assessment in Marine and Coastal Environments (CIEEM, 2010) and Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment in the UK and Ireland: Terrestrial, Freshwater and Coastal (CIEEM, 2016). All environmental issues have been divided into distinct ‘receiving environments’ or ‘receptors’. The effect of the proposed activity on each of these has been assessed by describing in turn: the baseline environmental conditions of each receiving environment; the ‘impact pathways’ by which the receptors could be affected; the significance of the impacts occurring and the measures to mitigate for significant adverse impacts where these are predicted. This impact assessment framework, which is presented in the following sections, is designed to incorporate the key criteria and considerations without being overly prescriptive. 7.2.3 Stage 1 - Identify Features and Changes The first stage has involved identifying the potential environmental changes resulting from the proposed activity and the features of interest (receptors) that are likely to be affected (which are together referred to as the impact pathway). This aspect of the assessment has been developed in consultation with Natural Resources Wales (NRW). 7.2.4 Stage 2 - Understand Change and Sensitivity The second stage has involved understanding the nature of the environmental changes to provide a benchmark against which the changes and levels of exposure can be compared. The scale of the impacts via the impact pathways depends upon a range of factors, including the following: - Magnitude (local/strategic); - Spatial extent (small/large scale); - Duration (short/intermediate/long-term); - Frequency; - Reversibility; - Probability of occurrence; - Confidence, or certainty, in the impact prediction; - The margins by which set values are exceeded (e.g. water quality standards); - The importance of the receptor (e.g. designated habitats and protected species); - The sensitivity of the receptor (resistance/adaptability/recoverability); - The baseline conditions of the system; and - Existing long-term trends and natural variability. 7.2.5 Stage 3 - Impact Assessment The likelihood of a feature being vulnerable to an impact pathway has then been evaluated as a basis for assessing the level of the impact and its significance. The tables and matrices below have been used to help assess significance. Identification and Estimation of Change and Exposure Construction and operational phases of the development have the potential to result in a range of ‘changes’ in the environment. These changes, or impacts, may or may not affect a receiving environment (i.e. receptor). The decommissioning phase of the development has not been considered as part of the assessment (Section 7.4.1). Whether a receiving environment can be exposed to an impact or change depends on there being a route or pathway. The magnitude of change and its ability to affect a receptor also depends on a range of other factors, such as its duration, frequency and spatial extent and the background environmental conditions in a study area: - Duration - the length of time a change can be considered to operate over is described as being either a short or long-term period. ‘Short-term’ changes are more likely to occur as a result of activities during the construction phase (which are temporary in nature), whilst ‘long- term’ is more likely to be relevant to the operational period; - Spatial extent - the spatial extent of a change is referred to using the terms ‘immediate’, ‘local’ and ‘estuary-wide’; and Environmental Statement 7/2 April 2018 Replacement Linkspan, Fishguard Port - Frequency - the ability for a change to be repeated is described by the terms ‘infrequent’, ‘frequent’ or ‘continuous’. Table 7.1 sets out the basic criteria which have been used to determine the magnitude of an impact for the purposes of the impact assessment. Whilst these are basic criteria, not all changes can be defined. On this basis, expert judgement based on the overall system understanding is required to ‘moderate’ the assessment to ensure consistency for each issue at different locations. Table 7.1: Basic Criteria for Defining Magnitude Of Impact Magnitude Definition Large Estuary and coastal wide extent with scale of change greater than the natural variability with a continuous signal extending into the long-term. Medium Local spatial extent with scale of impact within the same order as the natural variability, frequently occurring in the long-term. OR Immediate spatial extent with scale of change greater than the natural variability, occurring frequently over a short timescale. Small Local spatial extent with scale of impact smaller than the natural variability, frequently occurring over a short/temporary timescale. Negligible Immediate spatial extent (development footprint), with scale of impact smaller than the natural variability, occurring infrequently over a short/temporary timescale. Once a magnitude has been assessed, this has been combined with the probability of occurrence to arrive at an exposure score which has then been used for the next step of the assessment (Table 7.2). For example, an impact pathway with a medium magnitude of change and a high probability of occurrence would result in a medium exposure to change. Table7.1: Exposure to Change, Combining Magnitude And Probability Of Occurrence Probability of Magnitude of Change Occurrence Large Medium Small Negligible High High Medium Low Negligible Medium Medium Medium/Low Low /Negligible Negligible Low Low Low /Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible Negligible Sensitivity of Receptor An effect can only occur if a receptor is exposed to a change to which it is sensitive. Sensitivity can be described as the intolerance of a receptor to readily accept the levels of predicted environmental change to which they are exposed and essentially considers the response characteristics