5. Summary

  1. The following sections provide a summary of the fish and shellfish baseline characterisation and detail the resultant IEFs to be considered in the Array EIA Report.

5.1. Baseline

  1. The fish assemblage within the site boundary is typical of the northern North Sea. This is confirmed through site-specific survey and baseline data available from other developments in vicinity of the site boundary, with a mix of demersal and pelagic species. There are known overlapping spawning and nursery grounds for 16 species with the site boundary, including spawning grounds for cod and sandeel. Herring spawning grounds were further investigated and the results showed that there is some spawning activity which occurs adjacent to the site boundary with the majority of herring spawning occurring directly to the north with some further activity to the south of the site boundary. The site-specific PSA data supports very low proportions of the site boundary being suitable for herring spawning activity with only four sites described as either preferred or marginal habitat out of 78 sampled for PSA. Habitat suitability for sandeel was also assessed, with more than half of the site boundary having marginal and, in some areas, preferred habitat for sandeel habitation and spawning.
  2. Eight species of diadromous fish were identified as having the potential to be present within fish and shellfish ecology study area, of which Atlantic salmon, sea trout, European eel and allis and twaite shad were deemed to have the potential to occur within the site boundary. Six SACs and one SSSI designated for diadromous fish species (and freshwater pearl mussel) are present (or with the potential to be present, however remote) within the fish and shellfish ecology study area. There was also one Nature Conservation MPA designated for sandeel present within the fish and shellfish ecology study area.
  3. Shellfish in the fish and shellfish ecology study area and within the site boundary include Nephrops, king and queen scallop, European lobster, edible crab, velvet swimming crab and squid, which are targeted by commercial fisheries in the locality. Nephrops habitat was assessed using combined outputs from underwater imagery, grab sampling and epifaunal trawling alongside desktop data, which concluded that no favourable habitat was present within the site boundary.

5.2. Important Ecological Features

  1. IEFs are habitats, species, ecosystems and their functions/processes that are considered to be important and potentially impacted by the Array. Guidance from the CIEEM was used to assess IEFs within the area (CIEEM, 2022). IEFs can be attributed to individual species (such as plaice) or species groups (for example other flatfish species). Each IEF is assigned a value or importance rating which are based on commercial, ecological and conservation importance, including PMF and features of SACs. PMFs are those species most threatened, in greatest decline, or where Scotland hold a significant proportion of the world’s total population in some cases. Therefore, they are considered to be marine nature conservation priorities. Table 5.1   Open ▸ details the criteria used for determining IEFs and Table 5.2   Open ▸ applies the defining criteria to specific species, providing justifications for importance rankings.
Table 5.1:
Defining Criteria for IEFs


Table 5.1: Defining Criteria for IEFs

Table 5.2:
IEF Species and Representative Groups to be taken forward to the Assessment

Table 5.2: IEF Species and Representative Groups to be taken forward to the Assessment

*Based on likelihood of presence in study area

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[*] Ammodytes marinus described herein as Raitt’s sandeel.

[1] Adapted from Coull et al. (1998) and Ellis et al. (2012)

[2] Adapted from Coull et al. (1998) and Ellis et al. (2012)