E: [email protected] APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEART NA GAOITHE OFFSHORE WIND FARM. SCOTTISH MINISTERS’ ASSESSMENT OF THE PROJECT’S IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGNATED SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION (“SAC”), SPECIAL PROTECTION AREAS (“SPA”) AND PROPOSED SPECIAL PROTECTION AREAS (“pSPA”) IN VIEW OF THE SITES’ CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES. APPLICATION FOR CONSENT UNDER SECTION 36 OF THE ELECTRICITY ACT 1989 (AS AMENDED) AND FOR MARINE LICENCES UNDER THE MARINE (SCOTLAND) ACT 2010 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE NEART NA GAOITHE OFFSHORE WIND FARM AND ASSOCIATED OFFSHORE TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE. SITE DETAILS: NEART NA GAOITHE OFFSHORE WIND FARM AND EXPORT CABLE CORRIDOR BOUNDARY – APPROXIMATELY 15.5KM EAST OF FIFE NESS IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH. Name Assessor or Approver Date [Redacted] Assessor 09/10//2018 [Redacted] Assessor 09/10/2018 [Redacted] Approver 02/11/2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: BACKGROUND ..................................................................................... 5 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 5 2 Appropriate assessment (“AA”) conclusion ................................................................ 5 3 Background to including assessment of proposed SPAs ........................................... 6 4 Details of proposed operation .................................................................................... 6 5 Consultation ..............................................................................................................10 6 Main points raised during consultation ......................................................................11 SECTION 2: INFORMATION ON NATURA SITES ...................................................14 7 Background information and qualifying interests for the relevant Natura sites ..........14 SECTION 3: ASSESSMENT IN RELATION TO REGULATION 48 OF THE CONSERVATION (NATURAL HABITATS, &C.) REGULATIONS 1994 (AS AMENDED) AND REGULATION 63 OF THE CONSERVATION OF HABITATS AND SPECIES REGULATIONS 2017 ...............................................................................22 8 Requirement for appropriate assessment .................................................................22 9 Appropriate assessment of the implications for the site in view of the site’s conservation objectives. ............................................................................................25 10 Marine Mammal SACs - Moray Firth SAC, Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast SAC, Isle of May SAC and Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary SAC .....................25 11 BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN - Moray Firth SAC ............................................................26 12 GREY SEAL - Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast SAC and Isle of May SAC ...........................................................................................................................27 13 HARBOUR SEAL - Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary SAC ...........................................29 14 Seabird SPAs – Forth Islands SPA, Fowlsheugh SPA, Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast SPA, St Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA and Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA ....................................................................................30 15 GANNET – Forth Islands SPA and Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA ..................................................................................................................................32 16 KITTIWAKE – Forth Islands SPA, Fowlsheugh SPA, St Abb’s to Fast Castle SPA and Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast SPA and Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA ..........................................................................................................38 17 HERRING GULL – Forth Islands SPA, Fowlsheugh SPA, St Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA, Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast SPA and Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA ....................................................................................48 18 RAZORBILL – Forth Islands SPA, Fowlsheugh SPA, St Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA and Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA ....................................51 19 GUILLEMOT - Forth Islands SPA, Fowlsheugh SPA, St Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA, Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast SPA and Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA ...................................................................................................58 20 PUFFIN - Forth Islands SPA and Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA .........................................................................................................................65 21 BLACK-HEADED GULL, LITTLE GULL AND COMMON GULL - Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA.........................................................................68 1 22 PREY AVAILABILITY AND HABITAT LOSS - Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex pSPA ...................................................................................................70 23 Overall Conclusion ....................................................................................................72 SECTION 4: CONDITIONS .......................................................................................74 24 Requirement for conditions .......................................................................................74 APPENDIX 1: IN-COMBINATION ASSESSMENT – OTHER PLANS AND PROJECTS ...............................................................................................................80 25 In-Combination Assessment (Other Plans & Projects) - Introduction ........................80 26 Project Descriptions ..................................................................................................82 27 Assessment of in-combination effects .......................................................................90 APPENDIX TWO: IN-COMBINATION ASSESSMENT – NORTH SEA WIND FARMS ..................................................................................................................................96 APPENDIX THREE: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 2014 AND 2018 SEABIRD ASSESSMENT METHODS .......................................................................................97 2 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1 Chart of Generating Station and Cable Corridor .........................................10 Figure 2 SPAs, pSPA and SACs considered within this AA ......................................21 Table 1 Comparison of the Development and Original Varied Consent Envelope Parameters ................................................................................................................. 8 Table 2 Pile Installation Parameters ........................................................................... 9 Table 3 Indicative Construction Timescales ..............................................................10 Table 4 Name of Natura sites affected and current status ........................................15 Table 5 European qualifying interests .......................................................................15 Table 6 Conservation objectives ...............................................................................18 Table 7 In-combination assessment scenarios .........................................................31 Table 8 Summary of in-combination scenarios presented in the HRA Report ...........32 Table 9 Estimated annual in-combination number of gannet collisions based on Band model option 2 and an avoidance rate of 98.9% .......................................................34 Table 10 Estimated annual in-combination effects apportioned to Forth Islands SPA ..................................................................................................................................35 Table 11 Estimated annual in-combination effects on kittiwake from collisions and displacement based on Band model option 2 and an avoidance rate of 89.9% & the matrix approach ........................................................................................................39 Table 12 Estimated annual in-combination number of kittiwake collisions and displacement apportioned to Forth Islands SPA based on Band model option 2 and an avoidance rate of 89.9% & the matrix approach ...................................................40 Table 13 Estimated annual in-combination number of kittiwake collisions and displacement apportioned to Fowlsheugh SPA based on Band model option 2 and an avoidance rate of 89.9% & the matrix approach ........................................................42 Table 14 Estimated annual in-combination number of kittiwake collisions and displacement apportioned to St Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA based on Band model option 2 and an avoidance rate of 89.9% & matrix approach .........................43 Table 15 Estimated annual displacement effects on razorbill ....................................52 Table 16 Estimated annual displacement effects on Forth Islands SPA – razorbill ...53 Table 17 Estimated annual displacement effects on Fowlsheugh SPA - razorbill .....54 Table 18 Estimated annual displacement effects on St Abb’s Head to Fast Castle SPA - razorbill ...........................................................................................................56 Table 19 Estimated annual displacement effects on guillemot ..................................58 Table 20 Estimated annual displacement