March 2014 Environmental Statement Chapter 13 Fish and Shellfish Ecology Application Reference: 6.13 DOGGER BANK TEESSIDE A & B Cover photograph: Installation of turbine foundations in the North Sea F-OFC-CH-013 Issue 4.1 Chapter 13 Page ii © 2014 Forewind DOGGER BANK TEESSIDE A & B Document Title Dogger Bank TeessideA & B Environmental Statement – Chapter 13 Fish and Shellfish Ecology Forewind Document Reference F-OFC-CH-013 Issue 4.1 Date March 2014 Drafted by Brown & May Marine Ltd edited by Royal HaskoningDHV Checked by Ben Orriss Date / initials check 28 February 2014 Approved by Angela Lowe Date / initials approval 28 February 2014 Forewind Approval Date / Reference approval Gareth Lewis 26 February 2014 F-OFC-CH-013 Issue 4.1 Chapter 13 Page iii © 2014 Forewind DOGGER BANK TEESSIDE A & B Title: Contract No. (if applicable) Dogger Bank Teesside A & B Environmental Statement Chapter 13 Onshore Offshore Fish and Shellfish Ecology Document Number: Issue No: Issue Date: F-OFC-CH-013 4.1 28 February 2014 Status: Issued for 1st. Technical Review Issued for PEI3 Issued for 2nd. Technical Review Issued for DCO Prepared by: Checked by: Brown & May Marine Ltd (edited by Royal HaskoningDHV) Ben Orriss Approved by: Signature / Approval meeting Approval Date: Angela Lowe 26 February 2014 Gareth Lewis Revision History Date Issue No. Remarks / Reason for Issue Author Checked Approved 05 August 1 Issued for 1st Technical Review BMM/TR JL AL 2013 28 August 1.2 Issued for 2nd Technical Review BMM/TR AL AL 2013 10 2 Issued for Quality Review BMM/TR AL RH September 2013 25 2.1 Submitted for Approval BMM/TR AL AL September 2013 08 3 PEI 3 BMM/TR AL AL October 2013 18 4 Pre-DCO Submission Review BMM/TR BLO AL February 2014 28 4.1 DCO Submission BMM/TR BLO AL February 2014 F-OFC-CH-013 Issue 4.1 Chapter 13 Page iv © 2014 Forewind DOGGER BANK TEESSIDE A & B Table of Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 2. Guidance and Consultation ........................................................................................... 2 2.1. Legislation, policy and guidance ......................................................................... 2 2.2. Consultation ........................................................................................................ 3 3. Methodology ............................................................................................................... 25 3.1. Study area......................................................................................................... 25 3.2. Characterisation of the existing environment – methodology ............................ 28 3.3. Assessment of impacts - methodology ............................................................. 39 4. Existing Environment .................................................................................................. 49 4.1. Regional context ............................................................................................... 49 4.2. Overview of findings from site specific surveys ................................................. 53 4.3. Principal fish and shellfish species identified .................................................... 63 5. Assessment of Impacts – Worst case Definitions ....................................................... 84 5.1. General ............................................................................................................. 84 5.2. Realistic worst case scenarios .......................................................................... 84 5.3. Construction scenarios ..................................................................................... 93 5.4. Operation scenarios .......................................................................................... 94 5.5. Decommissioning scenarios ............................................................................. 94 6. Impacts during Construction ....................................................................................... 95 6.1. General ............................................................................................................. 95 6.2. Temporary physical disturbance/loss of seabed habitat – direct effects ........... 95 6.3. Temporary physical disturbance/loss of seabed habitat – impacts on fish and shellfish ............................................................................................................. 96 6.4. Suspended sediment concentrations .............................................................. 104 6.5. The effect of increased suspended sediment concentration and sediment re- deposition........................................................................................................ 108 6.6. Release of sediment contaminants through seabed disturbance-effects ........ 124 6.7. Release of sediment contaminants through seabed disturbance-impacts ...... 125 6.8. Construction noise - effects............................................................................. 130 F-OFC-CH-013 Issue 4.1 Chapter 13 Page v © 2014 Forewind DOGGER BANK TEESSIDE A & B 6.9. Construction noise - impacts ........................................................................... 138 6.10. Construction noise impact assessment summary ........................................... 150 7. Impacts during Operation .......................................................................................... 152 7.1. General ........................................................................................................... 152 7.2. Permanent loss of habitat - effects .................................................................. 152 7.3. Permanent loss of habitat - impacts ................................................................ 153 7.4. Permanent loss of habitat impact assessment summary ................................ 155 7.5. Introduction of hard substrate-effects .............................................................. 156 7.6. Introduction of hard substrate-impacts ............................................................ 159 7.7. Introduction of hard substrate impact assessment summary .......................... 161 7.8. Increases in suspended sediment concentration and sediment re-deposition due to scour associated with foundations - effects .......................................... 161 7.9. Increases in suspended sediment concentration and sediment re-deposition due to scour associated with foundations - impacts ........................................ 162 7.10. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) - effects ............................................................ 164 7.11. Electromagnetic fields (EMF) - Impacts .......................................................... 167 7.12. EMF impact assessment summary ................................................................. 175 7.13. Operational noise-effects ................................................................................ 175 7.14. Operational noise- impacts ............................................................................. 176 7.15. Operational noise impact assessment summary ............................................. 176 7.16. Changes to fishing activity .............................................................................. 177 7.17. Changes to fishing activity impact assessment summary ............................... 178 8. Impacts during Decommissioning ............................................................................. 179 9. Inter-relationships...................................................................................................... 180 10. Cumulative Impacts ................................................................................................... 181 10.1. CIA Strategy and screening ............................................................................ 181 10.2. Cumulative impact of Dogger Bank Teesside A & B, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck and Dogger Bank Teesside C & D. ................................................................. 196 10.3. Temporary physical disturbance/loss of seabed habitat ................................. 196 10.4. Suspended sediment and sediment re-deposition .......................................... 197 10.5. Construction noise .......................................................................................... 203 10.6. Permanent habitat loss ................................................................................... 204 F-OFC-CH-013 Issue 4.1 Chapter 13 Page vi © 2014 Forewind DOGGER BANK TEESSIDE A & B 10.7. Summary......................................................................................................... 205 10.8. The cumulative impact of Dogger Bank Teesside A & B, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, Dogger Bank Teesside C and D and other projects outside the Dogger Bank Zone....................................................................................................... 208 10.9. Dogger Bank Teesside A & B, Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, Dogger Bank Teesside C & D and marine conservation areas ............................................. 212 11. Transboundary Issues ............................................................................................... 215 11.1. General ........................................................................................................... 215 12. Summary ..................................................................................................................