Report supporting Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC (Site Code: 2262) Marine Institute Rinville Oranmore, Co. Galway Version: February 2020 1 Contents 1 Preface ............................................................................................................................................ 6 2 Executive summary ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 The SAC ................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Activities in the SAC ................................................................................................................ 7 2.3 The appropriate assessment process ..................................................................................... 7 2.4 Data supports .......................................................................................................................... 8 2.5 Findings and Recommendations ............................................................................................. 8 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 9 4 Conservation Objectives for Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC (002262) ....................... 9 4.1 The SAC extent ........................................................................................................................ 9 4.2 Qualifying interests (SAC) ..................................................................................................... 10 4.3 Conservation objectives for Valentia Island/Portmagee Channel SAC ................................. 11 4.4 Screening of Adjacent Natura sites for ex-situ effects .......................................................... 13 5 Details of the proposed plans and projects .................................................................................. 15 5.1 Aquaculture ........................................................................................................................... 15 6 Natura Impact Statement for the proposed activities .................................................................. 19 6.1 Aquaculture ........................................................................................................................... 19 7 Screening of Aquaculture Activities .............................................................................................. 21 7.1 Aquaculture Activity Screening ............................................................................................. 21 8 Assessment of Aquaculture Activities ........................................................................................... 26 8.1 Determining significance....................................................................................................... 26 8.2 Sensitivity and Assessment Rationale ................................................................................... 28 8.3 Assessment of the effects of aquaculture production on the Conservation Objectives for habitat features in Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC. ...................................................... 29 8.4 Other Considerations ............................................................................................................ 37 8.5 Aquaculture Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 37 9 Risk Assessment of Fishing Activities ............................................................................................ 37 9.1 Fishing activities .................................................................................................................... 37 9.2 Natura Impact Statement for Fisheries................................................................................. 38 9.3 Risk Assessment Methodology: ............................................................................................ 38 9.3.1 Determining risk to the conservation objectives .......................................................... 38 9.3.2 Sensitivity of characterizing species and marine communities to physical disturbance by fishing gears ............................................................................................................................. 42 9.4 Risk assessment of impact of fishing gears on marine benthic communities ...................... 43 2 9.5 Fisheries risk profile .............................................................................................................. 44 9.5.1 Marine Community types ............................................................................................. 44 10 In-combination effects of aquaculture, fisheries and other activities ...................................... 47 11 SAC Aquaculture Appropriate Assessment Concluding Statement and Recommendations .... 48 12 References ................................................................................................................................ 50 List of Figures Figure 1. The extent of Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC (site code 002262) with constituent qualifying interests (QI). ........................................................................................................................ 10 Figure 2. Principal benthic communities recorded within the qualifying interests Large shallow inlets and bays, Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide and reefs within Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC (Site Code 002262) (NPWS 2012a,b). .......................................... 11 Figure 3. Natura 2000 sites adjacent to the Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC. ................... 14 Figure 4: Aquaculture sites (Licenced and Applications) in Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC. .............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Figure 5 Existing and proposed access routes to the existing and proposed shellfish culture sites within the Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC. ................................................................................ 17 Figure 6: Determination of significant effects on community distribution, structure and function for sedimentary habitats (following NPWS 2012b)..................................................................................... 27 Figure 7 Fishing activity by vessels under 15m in the vicinity of Valencia Harbour / Portmagee Channel SAC. ...................................................................................................................................................... 38 3 List of Tables Table 1. Conservation objectives and targets for marine habitats and species in Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC (0002262) (NPWS 2012a,b). Annex I and II features listed in bold. .............................................................................................................................................................. 12 Table 2 Natura Sites adjacent to Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC and qualifying features with initial screening assessment on likely interactions with fisheries and aquaculture activities. ....... 14 Table 3: Spatial extent (ha) of aquaculture activities overlapping with the qualifying interest (1140 - Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide, 1160-Large shallow inlets and bays and 1170-Reefs) in Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC, presented according to culture species, method of cultivation and license status. .............................................................................................. 18 Table 4: Habitat utilisation i.e. spatial overlap in hectares and percentage (given in parentheses) of Aquaculture activity over community types within the qualifying interest 1140 - Mudflat and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide of Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC. (Spatial data based on licence database provided by DAFM. Habitat data provided in NPWS 2011 – supporting docs marine and coastal) ........................................................................................................................................... 22 Table 5: Habitat utilisation i.e. spatial overlap in hectares and percentage (given in parentheses) by Aquaculture activity over specific community types within the qualifying interest 1160 – Large shallow inlets and bays of Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC based on licence database provided by DAFM. Habitat data provided in NPWS 2012b – supporting docs marine and coastal) I = Intertidal, S = Subtidal; L= licenced, A = application. .................................................................................................. 23 Table 5 cont.. Habitat utilisation i.e. spatial overlap in hectares and percentage (given in parentheses) by Aquaculture activity over specific community types within the qualifying interest 1160 – Large shallow inlets and bays of Valentia Harbour/Portmagee Channel SAC based on licence database provided by DAFM. Habitat data provided in NPWS 2012b – supporting docs marine and coastal) I = Intertidal, S = Subtidal; L= licenced, A = application. .................................................................................................. 24 Table 6: Habitat utilisation i.e. spatial