Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance

To support the implementation of ‘Sector Policy 2A: Finfish and shellfish farming’ in the Orkney Islands Regional Marine Plan, Orkney Islands Council has prepared the Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance - Consultation Draft.

The Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance - Consultation Draft was deposited for consultation from 1st August until 25th October 2024. This consultation is now closed and the guidance is currently being updated in response to feedback received.
The Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance has been prepared as non-statutory planning guidance, developed to help identify areas of greater and lesser potential sensitivity and/or constraint for finfish farming development and/or activities in the Orkney Islands marine region. The guidance aims to 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/or activities.
The Orkney Islands Marine Region: Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance - Consultation Draft can be found in the related downloads section of this page.
The Finfish Farming Spatial Guidance is supported by an online interactive mapping tool which can be accessed here. This tool allows users to identify nearby receptors from a given point by clicking on a desired location.
It is anticipated that the guidance will be adopted by the Council in May 2026. Further information on the adoption of the guidance will be provide on the Council website in due course.

For further information please contact OIC Development and Marine Planning at marine.planning@orkney.gov.uk