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Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Enabling Actions Report: Ornithological Cumulative Impact Assessment Framework

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Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Enabling Actions Report: Ornithological Cumulative Impact Assessment Framework Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Enabling Actions Report Ornithological Cumulative Impact Assessment Framework Conservation Management Plan 0 © Crown Copyright 2013 Published by The Crown Estate. This report is available on The Crown Estate website at: www.thecrownestate.co.uk Dissemination Statement This publication (excluding the logos) may be re-used free of charge in any format or medium. It may only be re-used accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as The Crown Estate copyright and use of it must give the title of the source publication. Where third party copyright material has been identified, further use of that material requires permission from the copyright holders concerned. Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this report are entirely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of The Crown Estate, and The Crown Estate is not liable for the accuracy of the information provided or responsible for any use of the content. ORNITHOLOGICAL CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS WAVE & TIDAL PROJECTS This report has been published by The Crown Estate as part of our enabling work to support development of the Pentland Firth and Orkney waters wave and tidal projects. This work aims to accelerate and de-risk the development process, looking at a range of key issues. Work is selected, commissioned and steered by The Crown Estate in close discussion with the project developers. For more information on The Crown Estate’s work in wave and tidal energy, see www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energy/wave-and-tidal/ or contact [email protected]. The Ornithological CIA framework and supporting information has been developed to assist the wave and tidal current industry in the production of ornithological cumulative impact assessments with the intention of reducing delays in the consenting process. However, this does not constitute statutory guidance and developers are under no obligation to follow the steps as presented here. Marine Scotland and SNH, as part of the Project Steering Group, have reviewed the documents and have indicated their broad support of the approach adopted in the framework and worked example. MacArthur Green was commissioned by The Crown Estate to produce a methodological framework for the assessment of ornithological cumulative and in combination impacts of the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters (PFOW) wave and tidal projects. This work is part of The Crown Estate’s Enabling Actions work to accelerate and de-risk the development of the PFOW wave and tidal projects. This report details the Ornithological CIA Framework and is divided into four sections: . Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Wave and Tidal Projects Ornithological Cumulative Impact Assessment Framework. This report provides the background to CIA for wave and tidal current developments in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Region and presents detailed guidance on the steps involved. Appendix 1 - Supporting Information. This contains detailed information in support of the CIA Framework and a Strategic Review of potential seabird impacts. Appendix 2 – CIA Worked Example Scoping Report. This report provides a worked example of a scoping report for a hypothetical wave site in Scapa Flow. Appendix 3 – CIA Worked Example. This report provides a worked example of an Ornithological CIA for a hypothetical wave site in Scapa Flow. This guidance has been developed through detailed consultation with the Project Steering Group and wider consultation with various organisations through a workshop held on 11 October 2012. The Project Steering Group comprised representatives from The Crown Estate, from the regulators and their advisors (Marine Scotland Science, Marine Scotland Licencing, Scottish Natural Heritage and Joint Nature Conservation Committee) and the renewables industry (Niras Consulting [as adviser to The Crown Estate for this project], ScottishPower Renewables, Aquamarine Power and SSE Renewables). MacArthur Green and The Crown Estate wish to thank the Project Steering Group and the various attendees of the workshop who have contributed valuable input to the development of this guidance. We also wish to thank JNCC for their helpful advice and previews of reports in preparation. This report should be cited as: MacArthur Green (2013). Ornithological Cumulative Impact Assessment Framework: Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Wave and Tidal Projects. Report commissioned by The Crown Estate. ORNITHOLOGICAL CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS WAVE & TIDAL PROJECTS ORNITHOLOGICAL CIA FRAMEWORK Prepared by: David MacArthur, Professor Bob Furness, Dr Mark Trinder & Kirsty MacArthur Date: 30th May 2013 Tel: 0141 342 5404 Web: www.macarthurgreen.com Office: 95 South Woodside Road |Glasgow | G20 6NT Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters: Ornithological Cumulative Impact Assessment Framework CONTENTS ORNITHOLOGICAL CUMULATIVE ................................................................................................... 2 IMPACT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................. 2 PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS ...................................................................................... 2 WAVE & TIDAL PROJECTS ............................................................................................................. 2 ORNITHOLOGICAL CIA FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................ 2 LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES ........................................................................................................... II ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................. III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ IV 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1 2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 4 3. LEGISLATION AND POLICY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................... 4 4. ORNITHOLOGICAL CIA FRAMEWORK (OBJECTIVES 1 – 2) ........................................................ 6 4.1 DEFINING THE ORNITHOLOGICAL CIA FRAMEWORK (OBJECTIVE 1) ...................................................................... 6 4.2 GUIDANCE ON THE ORNITHOLOGICAL CIA FRAMEWORK (OBJECTIVE 2) .............................................................. 12 4.2.1 Stage 1: Scoping .............................................................................................................................. 12 4.2.2 Stage 2: Define the Target Bird Populations to Include in the Ornithological CIA .......................... 15 4.2.3 Stage 3: Define the Projects to include in the Ornithological CIA ................................................... 24 4.2.4 Stage 4: Identify Relevant Cumulative Impacts to Consider in Ornithological CIA ......................... 28 4.2.5 Stage 5: Define Vulnerability of Target Bird Populations to Development ..................................... 30 4.2.6 Stage 6: Establish Conservation Status of Target Bird Populations ................................................ 33 4.2.7 Stage 7: Detail Relevant Data Collection and Analysis Methods .................................................... 41 4.2.8 Stage 8: Data Acquisition from other Developers .......................................................................... 43 4.2.9 Stage 9: Detail Relevant Data Presentation .................................................................................... 43 4.2.10 Stage 10: Determine Significance of Cumulative Impacts .......................................................... 44 5. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATEGIC WORK (OBJECTIVE 3) ................................................ 46 5.1 NEED FOR, AND BENEFITS OF, FURTHER STRATEGIC WORK REGARDING ORNITHOLOGICAL CIA AND CONSENTING OF WAVE AND TIDAL PROJECTS IN THE PFOW .......................................................................................................................... 46 6. STRATEGIC REVIEW OF FACTORS AFFECTING DYNAMICS OF SEABIRD POPULATIONS (OBJECTIVE 4) ............................................................................................................................ 49 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................. 52 APPENDIX 1: ORNITHOLOGICAL CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS WAVE & TIDAL PROJECTS – SUPPORTING INFORMATION ............................ 64 APPENDIX 2: ORNITHOLOGICAL CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS WAVE & TIDAL PROJECTS – HYPOTHETICAL SCOPING REPORT FOR SCAPA FLOW WAVE SITE ORNITHOLOGICAL ASPECTS ............................................................................ 143 APPENDIX 3: ORNITHOLOGICAL CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK PENTLAND FIRTH AND ORKNEY WATERS WAVE & TIDAL PROJECTS – HYPOTHETICAL SCAPA FLOW WAVE SITE CIA - WORKED EXAMPLE ................................................................................................................... 164 i | P a g e Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters: Ornithological Cumulative Impact Assessment
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