Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance

IMAGE: Cover showing the title “Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance” above a blue map-like silhouette of Orkney and surrounding areas.

Contents

1. Purpose of this guidance
2. Policy context
3. How to use this guidance
4. Online interactive maps
5. Receptor updates
6. Identified Receptors
7. Significance and sensitivity of receptors
8. Spatial guidance
   • Nature Conservation Receptor Spatial Guidance
   • Landscape and Seascape Receptor Spatial Guidance
   • Historic Environment Receptor Spatial Guidance
   • Socio-Economic, Infrastructure and Operations Receptor Spatial Guidance
   • All Receptors Spatial Guidance
9. Appendix 1: Special Protection Areas and qualifying features sensitivity assessment
10. Appendix 2: Special Areas of Conservation assessment
11. Appendix 3: Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas assessment
12. Appendix 4: Priority Marine Features assessment
13. Appendix 5: Receptor location data updates

Acronyms

1. Purpose of this guidance

1.1

The Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance is a decision support tool that should inform decision making by public authorities and developers on finfish farm development proposals in the Orkney Islands marine region.

1.2

The purpose of this Spatial Guidance is to:

• support the implementation of the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan Sector Policy 2b: Finfish and shellfish farming;
• identify areas of greater and lesser potential sensitivity and/or constraint for finfish farming development in the Orkney Islands marine region;
• provide greater clarity for stakeholders on the significance, and potential sensitivity of identified environmental, historic, social, economic and infrastructure features, or receptors, to finfish farming development; and
• inform stakeholder understanding and participation in the planning and decision-making process for finfish farming development.

2. Policy context

2.1

Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance is non-statutory planning guidance that supports the implementation of the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan Sector Policy 2b: Finfish and shellfish farming (see below). Sector Policy 2b vi. states that proposals for finfish farming development should have regard to this spatial guidance.

Sector Policy 2: Aquaculture

Sector Policy 2a: Safeguarding the operation of active aquaculture sites

Proposals for development and/or activities should avoid, minimise and/or appropriately mitigate significant adverse impacts on the operation of active aquaculture sites.

Sector Policy 2b: Finfish and shellfish farming

i. Proposals for finfish and shellfish farming development and/or activities should have regard to:

• the Orkney Local Development Plan;
• the National Marine Plan;
• the National Planning Framework; and
• any Marine Directorate or SEPA licensing requirements and guidance.

ii. Proposals for finfish and shellfish farming development and/or activities should avoid, minimise and/or appropriately mitigate significant adverse impacts on:

• landscape and/or seascape character and visual amenity;
• nature conservation designations, protected species, and the wider biodiversity, including the national status of Priority Marine Features;
• seal haul-out sites;
• wild salmonid fish populations due to sea lice and/or escapes (applies to finfish farming only);
• water quality, biological carrying capacity and the benthic environment;
• historic environment assets;
• other coastal and marine users including, but not limited to, commercial fishing, shipping and navigation, port and harbour infrastructure/operations, active aquaculture sites, marine cable routes and pipelines, tourism, recreation, and sport and leisure activities; and
• amenity, including consideration of road traffic, noise, light, access, vibration, odour and litter impacts.

iii. Proposals for finfish and shellfish development and/or activities should ensure appropriate measures are included to prevent the introduction and spread of non-native species.

iv. New finfish farms should not bridge Disease Management Areas, although boundaries may be revised by the Marine Directorate to take account of any changes in fish farm location, subject to the continued management of risk.

v. Appropriate planning conditions and, where necessary, a financial bond or a letter of credit will be concluded to ensure that decommissioning and site restoration arrangements will be implemented following cessation of the operation.

vi. Proposals for finfish farming development should have regard to the Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance.

vii. Proposals for shellfish farming development should have regard to the Orkney Islands Marine Region: Shellfish Farming Spatial Guidance, where available.

3. How to use this guidance

3.1

This guidance should be used to guide decision making on finfish farming development in the Orkney Islands marine region. It does not identify locations that are suitable or unsuitable for finfish farm development. The Spatial Guidance is a decision support tool to help identify areas of greater and lesser sensitivity and/or constraint to finfish farming development.

3.2

There are environmental, historic, social, economic and infrastructure features, or receptors, in the Orkney Islands marine region and adjacent coastal areas, that can be affected by finfish farming development and/or activities. This Spatial Guidance identifies the location, significance and potential sensitivity of these receptors to finfish farm development.

3.3

The Spatial Guidance receptors have been selected in accordance with the criteria in the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan, Sector Policy 2b ii. Table 1 identifies the relevant receptors along with their spatial extent and the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan policies that are relevant to each receptor. These receptors include, for example, designated nature conservation sites and electricity cables.

3.4

Receptors have varying levels of significance. For example, internationally rare or vulnerable habitats or species have greater significance than habitats or species that are more common and/or of lesser conservation importance.

Receptors can also have higher or lower levels of sensitivity to finfish farming development and/or activities. For example, the various Priority Marine Features have different levels of sensitivity to organic enrichment associated with finfish farming development and/or activities. Where relevant, a receptor’s significance value is assigned on the basis of its position within the hierarchy of international, national and regional/local importance.

3.5

Table 2 provides information on the significance, and potential sensitivity of the identified environmental, historic, social, economic and infrastructure receptors to finfish farm development. The receptors have been assigned values according to their significance and their potential sensitivity, as identified in Table 2. The location, and significance and sensitivity values, of the receptors are identified in the guidance maps in Section 7: Spatial Guidance.

3.6

Further information on the identified nature conservation receptors, and their potential sensitivity to finfish farm development and/or activities, is provided in Appendices 1 to 4.

3.7

The significance of any potential impact or effect associated with a specific finfish farming development or activity proposal is influenced by factors including, but not limited to, location, scale, siting and design, and any appropriate development specific mitigation measures. These development specific impacts or effects, and associated mitigation measures, are assessed as part of the relevant statutory consenting processes. For the purposes of this guidance, the assessments have been undertaken prior to the consideration of any development or site-specific mitigation.

4. Online interactive maps

4.1

A web-based interactive spatial tool can be accessed at Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance. This service allows users to identify nearby receptors from a given point by clicking on a desired location. The search distance from the clicked location can be set by the user, for example, all receptors within 1 km, with the option to view further information on the receptors present within the search area.

5. Receptor updates

5.1

It is important that the location, significance and sensitivity of the receptors is identified using the most up to date data. The receptor locations identified in Appendix 5, Table A6, may be periodically reviewed and updated using the identified data sources. Relevant receptors may also be periodically updated to reflect updates to the Feature Activity Sensitivity Tool (FeAST). These updates may be made to this Spatial Guidance without the need for further public consultation on an updated spatial guidance document.

6. Identified Receptors

6.1

Table 1 identifies the receptors that are of relevance to Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan Sector Policy 2b ii., along with their identified spatial extent and the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan general policies of relevance to each receptor.

Table 1. Identified receptors summary

There are PMF locations within Orkney’s waters that have not yet been recorded and are therefore not identified in the spatial data used within this guidance. PMF records will be periodically updated within this guidance as detailed in Appendix 5 to incorporate any updated records.

6.2

The assessment of relevant finfish farm consent applications will take into account, through the relevant process, any impacts or effects on receptors located outwith the Orkney Islands marine region. For example, any likely significant effects on Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.

6.3

Non-designated historic environment assets are not identified in this Spatial Guidance. For information on non-designated historic environment assets in the Orkney Islands marine region refer to Trove.scot.

7. Significance and sensitivity of receptors

7.1

Table 2 provides information on the significance, and potential sensitivity of the identified environmental, historic, social, economic and infrastructure receptors to finfish farm development and/or activities.

Table 2: Significance and sensitivity of receptors

Significance and sensitivity values are assessed on a scale of 1 to 3, where 1 is low, 2 is medium and 3 is high.

8. Spatial guidance

8.1

This Spatial Guidance provides information on the location, significance, and potential sensitivity of the identified environmental, historic, social, economic and infrastructure receptors to finfish farm development (see Table 1 and Table 2).

8.2

The Spatial Guidance is provided in a suite of maps:

Nature conservation

• Map 1: Nature conservation site receptors
• Map 2: Priority Marine Feature receptors
• Map 3: Nature receptors significance and sensitivity

Landscape and seascape

• Map 4: Landscape and seascape receptors
• Map 5: Landscape and seascape receptors significance and sensitivity

Historic environment

• Map 6: Historic environment asset receptors
• Map 7: Historic environment receptors significance and sensitivity

Socio-economic / infrastructure

• Map 8: Harbour infrastructure and operations receptors
• Map 9: Energy, utilities and aquaculture infrastructure receptors
• Map 10: Shipping density and ferry routes
• Map 11: All socio-economic/infrastructure and operations receptor significance and sensitivity

All receptors

• Map 12: All receptors significance and sensitivity, that is, data from Maps 3, 5, 7 and 11.

8.3

Maps 3, 5, 7, 11 and 12 identify areas of the Orkney Islands marine region with higher and lower levels of receptor significance and sensitivity to finfish farming development. Information on the significance, and sensitivity of the identified receptors to finfish farm development and/or activities is presented in Table 2. The receptors have been assigned values according to their significance and their potential sensitivity, as identified in Table 2. The Spatial Guidance Maps 3, 5, 7, 11 and 12 present the cumulative significance and sensitivity values for the identified receptors, that is, the sum of overlaying receptor values.

8.4

Interactive maps can be accessed at Orkney Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance to allow users to look at locations in greater detail.

8.5

Information on the identified nature receptors, and their potential sensitivity to finfish farm development and/or activities, is provided in Appendices 1 to 4.

Nature Conservation Receptor Spatial Guidance

Map 1: Nature conservation site receptors

IMAGE: Map of the Orkney Islands marine region showing Special Protection Areas, Special Areas of Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Ramsar sites and seal haul-out sites with a 500 metre buffer. The map key identifies the Orkney Islands marine region boundary and the various designated areas.

Nature conservation sites that have no identified pressure interactions with finfish farming development and/or activities have been screened out of the significance and sensitivity analysis and mapping in this spatial guidance. See Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 for more information.

Map 2: Priority Marine Feature receptors

IMAGE: Map of the Orkney Islands marine region showing recorded Priority Marine Feature locations. The key identifies fan mussel, flame shell beds, horse mussel beds, maerl beds, northern feather star, ocean quahog, seagrass beds and principal sea trout spawning burns.

The Geodatabase of Marine Features Adjacent to Scotland (GeMS) Priority Marine Feature records in the Orkney Islands marine region are identified in Map 2. There are PMF locations that have not yet been recorded and are therefore not identified in the spatial data used within this Guidance.

Map 3: Nature conservation receptor significance and sensitivity

IMAGE: Map showing cumulative nature conservation receptor significance and sensitivity across the Orkney Islands marine region. The key ranges from lower cumulative significance/sensitivity to higher cumulative significance/sensitivity.

Map 3 presents the cumulative significance and sensitivity values for the identified nature receptors, that is, the sum of overlaying receptor values.

Landscape and Seascape Receptor Spatial Guidance

Map 4: Landscape and seascape receptors

IMAGE: Map of the Orkney Islands marine region showing the boundary of the Hoy and West Mainland National Scenic Area. The map key identifies the National Scenic Area and the Orkney Islands marine region.

Map 5: Landscape and seascape receptor significance and sensitivity

IMAGE: Map showing the cumulative significance and sensitivity of the landscape receptor, with the Hoy and West Mainland National Scenic Area highlighted. The key ranges from lower cumulative significance/sensitivity to higher cumulative significance/sensitivity.

Map 5 presents the significance and sensitivity value for the identified landscape receptor, that is, the Hoy and West Mainland National Scenic Area.

Historic Environment Receptor Spatial Guidance

Map 6: Historic environment asset receptors

IMAGE: Map of the Orkney Islands marine region showing controlled sites, protected places, listed buildings, conservation areas, gardens and designed landscapes, scheduled monuments, the Historic Marine Protected Area, the World Heritage Site boundary and the World Heritage Site Inner Sensitivity Zone.

Coastal historic environment assets have been identified in Map 6 to inform the assessment of impacts on their setting.

Map 7: Historic environment asset receptor significance and sensitivity

IMAGE: Map showing the cumulative significance and sensitivity of historic environment receptors across the Orkney Islands marine region. The key ranges from lower cumulative significance/sensitivity to higher cumulative significance/sensitivity.

Map 7 presents the cumulative significance and sensitivity values for the identified receptors, that is, the sum of overlaying receptor values.

Socio-Economic, Infrastructure and Operations Receptor Spatial Guidance

Map 8: Harbour infrastructure and operations receptors

IMAGE: Map of the Orkney Islands marine region showing designated STS anchor berths, designated anchor berths, CCC anchorages, other anchorages, visiting yacht moorings, Widewall Bay Harbour of Refuge, the Scapa Flow North and East Safeguarded Area, designated anchor berth sensitive areas, designated STS anchor berth sensitive areas, the Flotta Terminal Safeguarded Area, pier and harbour infrastructure, national development sensitive areas and the marine region boundary.

Map 9: Energy, utilities and aquaculture infrastructure receptors

IMAGE: Map showing wave and tidal energy sites, offshore wind Plan Option areas, active aquaculture sites, electricity cables, telecommunications cables, hydrocarbon pipelines, water pipelines, outfall pipelines, undefined pipelines, undefined and/or out-of-service cables, and the Orkney Islands marine region boundary.

Map 10: Shipping density and ferry routes

IMAGE: Map showing ferry routes and Scapa Flow shipping routes overlaid on shipping-density areas classified as low, medium or high. The map covers the Orkney Islands marine region and surrounding waters.

Map 10 identifies Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Map 11: Socio-economic infrastructure and operations receptor significance and sensitivity

IMAGE: Map showing cumulative socio-economic and infrastructure receptor significance and sensitivity across the Orkney Islands marine region. The key ranges from lower cumulative significance/sensitivity to higher cumulative significance/sensitivity.

Map 11 presents the cumulative significance and sensitivity values for the identified socio-economic receptors, that is, the sum of overlaying receptor score values.

All Receptors Spatial Guidance

Map 12: All receptor significance and sensitivity

IMAGE: Map showing cumulative significance and sensitivity scores for all identified receptors across the Orkney Islands marine region. The key ranges from lower cumulative significance/sensitivity to higher cumulative significance/sensitivity.

Map 12 presents the cumulative significance and sensitivity scores for all identified receptors, that is, the sum of overlaying receptor values.

Appendix 1: Special Protection Areas and qualifying features sensitivity assessment

A1.1

Special Protection Areas (SPAs) that have no identified pressure/interaction to their qualifying features with finfish farming development and/or activities have been screened out and are therefore not included in Map 3 (Nature Conservation Significance and Sensitivity).

A1.2

An individual site sensitivity value has been attributed to the relevant SPAs within Orkney and the Orkney Islands marine region that have a pathway to impact from finfish farming development and/or activities.

A1.3

The sensitivity value for each SPA has been attributed on the basis of the sensitivity of the site’s qualifying bird features to finfish farming development and/or activities.

A1.4

The assessment of relevant finfish farm consent applications will take into account, through the relevant process, any impacts or effects on receptors located outwith the Orkney Islands marine region.

A1.5

The foraging ranges of the SPA qualifying features are identified in Table A2.

A1.6

The sensitivity value for each SPA has been attributed by following steps 1 to 4:

1. Identify the qualifying features for each SPA (see Table A1: Column B).
2. Identify the pressures/interactions from finfish farming development and/or activities for each SPA qualifying bird feature using FeAST assessments (see Table A2: Column B).
3. Identify the sensitivity of the qualifying bird features to each pressure/interaction using values of low (1), medium (2) or high (3). For qualifying bird features affected by multiple pressures/interactions, the highest pressure sensitivity value was assigned to the feature (see Table A2: Column C).
4. The individual SPA sensitivity value was assigned based on the most sensitive qualifying feature within the SPA citation (see Table A1: Column E).

Table A1. Special Protection Area sensitivity summary

*As Scapa Flow SPA and North Orkney SPA are relatively recent designations (2021), the status of the qualifying features is currently unavailable.

Table A2. SPA qualifying bird features sensitivity summary*

*Recommended foraging ranges taken from NatureScot Guidance Note 3: Guidance to support offshore wind applications: marine birds – identifying theoretical.

**For red-throated divers, because of their sensitivity to aquaculture a figure of 10 km, maximum foraging range plus 1 km for swimming, is used, as advised by NatureScot.

Appendix 2: Special Areas of Conservation assessment

A2.1

SACs that have no identified pressure/interaction to their qualifying features with finfish farming development and/or activities have been screened out and are therefore not included in Map 3 (Nature Conservation Significance and Sensitivity).

A2.2

An individual site sensitivity value has been attributed to the SACs within Orkney and the Orkney Islands marine region that have a pressure/interaction to their qualifying features from finfish farming development and/or activities.

A2.3

The sensitivity value for each SAC has been attributed on the basis of the sensitivity of the site’s qualifying features to finfish farming development and/or activities.

A2.4

The assessment of the relevant finfish farm consent applications will take into account, through the relevant process, any impacts or effects on receptors located outwith the Orkney Islands marine region.

A2.5

The sensitivity value for each SAC has been attributed by following steps 1 to 4:

1. Identify the qualifying features for each SAC (see Table A3: Column B).
2. Identify the pressures from finfish farming development and/or activities on each SAC qualifying feature in consultation with NatureScot (see Table A3: Column C).
3. Identify the sensitivity of these qualifying features to each identified pressure using values of low (1), medium (2) or high (3) (see Table A3: Column D).
4. Assign the individual SAC sensitivity value based on the most sensitive qualifying feature within the SAC citation (see Table A3: Column E).

Table A3: SAC Summary Table

Appendix 3: Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas assessment

A3.1

An individual site sensitivity value has been attributed to the Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NC MPA) within the Orkney Islands marine region that have protected features with identified pressure/interaction with finfish farming development and/or activities.

A3.2

The sensitivity value for each NC MPA has been attributed on the basis of the sensitivity of the site’s protected feature(s) to finfish farming development and/or activities.

A3.3

The assessment of the relevant finfish farm consent applications will take into account, through the relevant process, any impacts or effects on receptors located outwith the Orkney Islands marine region.

A3.4

The sensitivity value for each NC MPA has been attributed by following steps 1 to 4:

1. Identify the protected features for each NC MPA (see Table A4: Column B).
2. Identify the pressures from finfish farming development and/or activities on each NC MPA protected feature using Feature Activity Sensitivity Tool (FeAST) assessments (see Table A4: Column C).
3. Identify the sensitivity of these qualifying features to each pressure using values of low (1), medium (2) or high (3) (see Table A4: Column D).
4. Assign the individual NC MPA sensitivity value based on the most sensitive qualifying feature within the NC MPA designation (see Table A4: Column E).

Table A4: Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas Summary

Appendix 4: Priority Marine Features assessment

A4.1

The Geodatabase of Marine Features Adjacent to Scotland (GeMS) PMF records within the Orkney Islands marine region are identified in Map 2. There are PMF locations that have not yet been recorded and are therefore not identified in the spatial data used within this Guidance. PMF records will be periodically updated within this Guidance as detailed in Appendix 5 to incorporate any updated records.

A4.3

PMFs are a subset of species and habitats identified on national, UK or international lists. Therefore, all PMFs are of at least national conservation significance in Scotland, but may be of UK level or international significance. Each PMF recorded in the Orkney Islands marine region has been attributed a significance value on the basis of national or international conservation status. Refer to Table A5 for the conservation status and significance value attributed to relevant PMF.

A4.4

An individual PMF sensitivity value has been attributed to PMFs within the Orkney Islands marine region that have identified pressure/interaction with finfish farming development and/or activities.

A4.5

The sensitivity value for each PMF has been attributed by following steps 1 to 5:

1. Identify the PMFs present within Orkney’s marine region (Table A5, Column A).
2. Advice was taken from NatureScot on which PMFs to include within the Spatial Guidance.
3. Identify the pressures/interactions on the selected PMFs from finfish farming using Feature Activity Sensitivity Tool (FeAST) assessments (see Table A5: Column D).
4. Identify the sensitivity of selected PMFs to each pressure using values of low (1), medium (2) or high (3) (Table A5, Column E).
5. Assign the overall PMF sensitivity value based on the highest sensitivity of a FeAST-listed pressure/interaction (Table A5, Column F).

Table A5: Priority Marine Features Summary

*Attributed on the basis of most sensitive qualifying feature.

Appendix 5: Receptor location data updates

A5.1

It is important that receptor locations are identified using the most up to date data. The receptors identified in Table A6 may be reviewed and updated to ensure that the data are current and up to date. Table A6 identifies the data sources used for receptor locations and updates.

Table A6: Data sources

This publication is available at www.orkney.gov.uk.

Published by Orkney Islands Council.