1.9. Fish and Shellfish Ecology

  1. Fish and shellfish ecology refers to the study of fish and shellfish, and how they behave and interact with their environment, such as some species moving between freshwater and marine environments. The fish and shellfish ecology of the Array was characterised through a detailed desktop review of existing studies and datasets supplemented by data collected as part of a site-specific benthic survey. The survey and reports indicated that the Array supports a variety of fish and shellfish species that are typical of this area. Key fish included herring and cod, which use the area within the Array and surrounding areas to release eggs, along with fish such as sea lamprey which might pass through or near to the Array during their movement from sea to fresh water.
  2. A number of potential impacts on fish and shellfish species, associated with the construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning phases of the Array, were identified. These included:
  • temporary habitat loss and disturbance during all phases;
  • long term habitat loss and disturbance during all phases;
  • colonisation of hard structures during the operation and maintenance phase;
  • noise impacting fish and shellfish ecology receptors during the construction and operation and maintenance phases;
  • increased suspended sediment concentrations and associated deposition during all phases; and
  • effects to fish and shellfish ecology due to EMFs from subsea electrical cabling during the operation and maintenance phase.
  1. With the proposed designed in measures in place, all of these impacts result in effects of either negligible or minor adverse significance, which is not significant in EIA terms.
  2. Cumulative impacts arising from the Array together with other projects and plans were assessed and predicted to result in effects of negligible or minor significance (not significant in EIA terms) on fish and shellfish ecology.
  3. No likely significant transboundary effects regarding fish and shellfish ecology from the Array on the interests of EEA states were predicted.