NISA Foreshore Licence Application – Cable Assessment Area Application Foreshore Licence Application for Site Investigation Work – NISA Cable Assessment Area Natura Impact Statement 31st March 2021 NISA Foreshore Licence Application – Cable Assessment Area Application Document Control Revision Date Authored: Checked: Approved: Rev 00 28/02/2021 Revision Date Authored: Checked: Approved: Rev 01 23/03/2021 Client comments incorporated Revision Date Authored: Checked: Approved: Rev 02 31/03/2021 Client comments incorporated Guidelines of use of report: This report is produced in support of an application for a site investigation licence under Section 3 of the Foreshore Act 1933, as amended, and should not be used for any other purpose apart from that expressly stated in this document. ii NISA Foreshore Licence Application – Cable Assessment Area Application Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................1 AIM OF THIS REPORT ....................................................................................................................................... 1 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT .............................................................................................................................. 1 FORESHORE LICENSE APPLICATION AREA ............................................................................................................. 2 MARINE SITE INVESTIGATION ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................................. 4 1.4.1 Geophysical survey ................................................................................................................................ 4 1.4.2 Geotechnical survey ............................................................................................................................... 4 1.4.3 Benthic ecology survey .......................................................................................................................... 5 SURVEY SCHEDULE ........................................................................................................................................ 11 2 HABITATS DIRECTIVE (92/43/EEC) .............................................................................................................. 12 LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 12 THE APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT PROCESS ......................................................................................................... 13 3 RECEIVING ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................ 15 MARINE BENTHOS ........................................................................................................................................ 15 NATURA 2000 SITES ..................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2.1 Special Conservation Interests (SCI) (Birds) ......................................................................................... 16 3.2.2 Annex I Habitats and Associated SACs ................................................................................................ 22 3.2.3 Annex II Species and Associated SACs ................................................................................................. 27 3.2.4 Annex V Species ................................................................................................................................... 32 MARINE MAMMALS ...................................................................................................................................... 32 FISHERIES .................................................................................................................................................... 34 3.4.1 Data Availability .................................................................................................................................. 34 3.4.2 Fishing Activity ..................................................................................................................................... 35 3.4.3 Fish Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 37 MARINE TRAFFIC .......................................................................................................................................... 40 SUBSEA INFRASTRUCTURE AND SHIPWRECKS ...................................................................................................... 41 OTHER PROPOSED ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA ........................................................................................................ 42 DUMPING AT SEA ......................................................................................................................................... 45 4 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ..................................................................................................... 47 PHYSICAL DISTURBANCE TO MARINE BENTHIC COMMUNITIES ............................................................................... 47 DISTURBANCE FROM VIBRATION AND UNDERWATER NOISE ASSOCIATED WITH SURVEYS ............................................. 49 VISUAL AND NOISE DISTURBANCE TO BIRD SPECIES ............................................................................................. 52 INDIRECT EFFECTS TO BIRDS DUE TO EFFECTS ON PREY SPECIES ................................................................................ 52 INJURY DUE TO COLLISION (SURVEY VESSELS/SAMPLING EQUIPMENT) ..................................................................... 53 POLLUTION EVENT ........................................................................................................................................ 53 5 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT STAGE 1 SCREENING ...................................................................................... 54 CRITERIA FOR NATURA 2000 SITE SELECTION FOR SCREENING ............................................................................... 54 IDENTIFICATION OF RELEVANT NATURA 2000 SITES AND QUALIFYING INTERESTS/SPECIAL CONSERVATION INTERESTS ..... 55 SCREENING ASSESSMENT OF LIKELY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ...................................................................................... 72 5.3.1 Direct Effects – Physical Disturbance to Marine Benthic Communitities; Habitat Loss ....................... 72 5.3.2 Disturbance from vibration and underwater noise associated with surveys ....................................... 90 5.3.3 Visual and Noise Disturbance to Birds and Indirect Effects on Bird Species due to Effects on Prey Species 91 iii NISA Foreshore Licence Application – Cable Assessment Area Application 5.3.4 Pollution Event ..................................................................................................................................... 96 IN-COMBINATION EFFECTS .............................................................................................................................. 96 SCREENING STATEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 100 SCREENING STATEMENT SUMMARY ................................................................................................................ 101 6 STAGE 2 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT (NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT) ..................................................... 103 CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES FOR QUALIFYING INTRESTS ..................................................................................... 103 6.1.1 Rockabill SPA (004014) (NPWS, 2013d) ............................................................................................. 103 6.1.2 Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC (003000) (NPWS, 2013e) .................................................................. 103 6.1.3 Lambay Island SAC (000204) (NPWS, 2013f) ..................................................................................... 104 6.1.4 River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC (002299)............................................................................... 104 6.1.5 North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol SAC (UK0030398) (NRW, 2016a) ............................. 105 6.1.6 Murlough SAC (UK0016612) (DAERA-NI, 2015b) ............................................................................... 105 6.1.7 Strangford Lough SAC (UK0016618) (DAERA-NI, 2015c) ................................................................... 105 6.1.8 North Channel SAC (UK0030399) (JNCC, 2019) ................................................................................. 106 IMPACT ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................................. 106 6.2.1 Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) [1351] ............................................................................... 106 6.2.2 Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) [1364] .............................................................................................. 107 6.2.3 Common Seal (Phoca vitulina [1365]) ............................................................................................... 108 6.2.4 Otter (Lutra Lutra) [1355] .................................................................................................................
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