Report supporting Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture in Clonakilty Bay SAC (Site code: 000091) Produced by AQUAFACT International Services Ltd On behalf of Marine Institute July 2020 AQUAFACT INTERNATIONAL SERVICES LTD., 12 KILKERRIN PARK, LIOSBAUN, TUAM RD., GALWAY. www.aquafact.ie [email protected] tel +353 (0) 91 756812 MOWI Ireland Report supporting Appropriate Assessment of DD MMM 2019 Marine Institute Aquaculture in Clonakilty Bay SAC (Site code: 000091) MOWI Ireland Report supporting Appropriate Assessment of DD MMM 2019 Marine Institute Aquaculture in Clonakilty Bay SAC (Site code: 000091) Table of Contents 1. PREFACE .................................................................................................................................................. 1 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 3 2.1. THE SAC .................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.2. ACTIVITIES IN THE SAC .................................................................................................................................. 3 2.3. THE APPROPRIATE PROCESS ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.4. DATA SUPPORTS .......................................................................................................................................... 5 2.5. FINDINGS.................................................................................................................................................... 5 3. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 8 4. SCREENING .............................................................................................................................................. 8 4.1. THE SAC EXTENT ......................................................................................................................................... 8 4.2. QUALIFYING INTERESTS ............................................................................................................................... 11 4.3. CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................... 16 4.4. SCREENING OF ADJACENT SACS FOR EX-SITU EFFECTS ...................................................................................... 17 5. DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED PLANS AND PROJECTS ............................................................................... 20 5.1. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED AQUACULTURE ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................... 20 5.2. PROPOSED OYSTER CULTIVATION AND OVERLAP WITH CONSERVATION FEATURES .................................................. 22 6. NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE ACTIVITIES ............................................................................... 23 6.1. PHYSICO-CHEMICAL EFFECTS ........................................................................................................................ 23 6.2. SHADING EFFECTS ...................................................................................................................................... 25 6.3. NON-NATIVE SPECIES ................................................................................................................................. 25 6.4. DISEASE RISK ............................................................................................................................................. 26 7. SCREENING OF AQUACULTURE ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................ 28 7.1. PHYSICO-CHEMICAL EFFECTS ........................................................................................................................ 28 7.2. SHADING EFFECTS ...................................................................................................................................... 31 7.3. NON-NATIVE SPECIES ................................................................................................................................. 31 7.3.1. Naturalisation of Crassostrea gigas ............................................................................................. 31 7.3.2. Introduction of Non-Native Species .............................................................................................. 31 7.4. DISEASE RISK ............................................................................................................................................. 32 8. ASSESSMENT OF AQUACULTURE ACTIVITIES ......................................................................................... 33 8.1. PHYSICO-CHEMICAL EFFECTS TO HABITATS ...................................................................................................... 33 8.1.1. Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 33 8.1.2. Determining Significance .............................................................................................................. 33 8.1.3. Sensitivity and Assessment Rationale ........................................................................................... 35 8.1.4. Assessment of Effects ................................................................................................................... 40 8.1.5. Habitat Area ................................................................................................................................. 40 8.1.6. Community Distribution ............................................................................................................... 40 ii MOWI Ireland Report supporting Appropriate Assessment of DD MMM 2019 Marine Institute Aquaculture in Clonakilty Bay SAC (Site code: 000091) 8.1.7. Conclusion Summary .................................................................................................................... 41 8.2. EFFECT OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES TO HABITATS ................................................................................................ 43 8.2.1. Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 43 8.2.2. Determining Significance .............................................................................................................. 43 8.2.3. Management Measure ................................................................................................................. 44 8.2.4. Conclusion Summary .................................................................................................................... 44 9. IN-COMBINATION EFFECTS OF FISHERIES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ......................................................... 44 9.1. FISHERIES ................................................................................................................................................. 44 9.1.1. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 44 9.2. POLLUTION PRESSURES ............................................................................................................................... 44 9.2.1. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 45 10. SAC AQUACULTURE APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT CONCLUDING STATEMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS 46 11. REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 48 List of Figures Figure 4.1: Clonakilty Bay SAC relative to the proposed aquaculture site T05/603A, vehicle access routes and piers............................................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 4.2: Spatial extent of the Annex I Habitat 1140 of Clonakilty Bay SAC relative to the proposed aquaculture site T05/603A and site access points. ......................................................................................... 13 Figure 4.3: Community type recorded within the Annex I Habitat of 1140 of Clonakilty Bay SAC relative to the proposed aquaculture site and site access points. ......................................................................................... 15 Figure 4.4: SACs adjacent to Clonakilty Bay SAC............................................................................................. 19 Figure 7.1: Spatial overlap of aquaculture sites with marine community type within Clonakilty Bay SAC. ..... 30 Figure 8.1: Schematic outlining the determination of significant effects on habitats and marine community types. ............................................................................................................................................................. 35 List of Tables Table 2.1: Conservation features ..................................................................................................................... 6 Table 2.2: Annex I habitat constituent community type of the