4.4. Step 4 – Biosecurity Control Measures

  1. As part of this step, biosecurity control measures are identified. It is important that these measures are effective, simple, realistic and can be easily translated into instructions to others.
  2. These measures must also consider how much control the Applicant has over the site and its activities. Control measures help the Applicant to meet their legal requirement described in section 1.2, to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent the introduction of INNS.
  3. To make the control measures effective, it is worth thinking about:
  • who will carry out the action;
  • what they will be doing to reduce the risk of introducing INNS;
  • where will the control measure be applied; and
  • when will the control measure be applied (i.e. at what stage in a process).
  1. A list of example control measures can be found within Payne et al. (2014), many of which are included in the INNSMP (see section 5.4). Where possible, biosecurity measures should be included in the design stage of a new development and aim to ‘design out’ any possible significant risk of introducing or spreading INNS.

4.5. Step 5 – Biosecurity Surveillance, Monitoring and Reporting Procedures

  1. Early detection of INNS on the site is important as this increases the likelihood of successful containment and potential for full eradication. For this reason, all staff and other site users should be encouraged to report any unusual sightings to the biosecurity officer.
  2. This step outlines those procedures to be followed in the event of discovering and positively identifying an INNS on site. As part of this process the following should be considered:
  • setting out who is responsible for surveillance and monitoring of the site; and
  • adding actions to encourage vessel owners who use the site to be vigilant and report any sightings of concern.

4.6. Contingency Plan

  1. A contingency plan should be in place to deal with potential failure of the ‘prevention’ and ‘rapid response’ method identified in paragraph 10. This document should be short and be accessible to all staff, ensuring it provides a step by step action list.
  2. The contingency plan will review the activities identified in this INNSMP with potential to introduce and/or spread INNS and derive actions to deal with a potential failure of the proposed control measures.

4.7. Monitoring and Review

  1. Following completion of the INNSMP, a clear recording system (i.e. a logbook) should be put in place to accurately record the results of any checks or actions taken, and formal steps are put in place to quickly inform the Biosecurity Manager of potential INNS introduction.
  2. A review date of site and operation plans will be in place to refine and update the INNSMP as required.

5. Array Invasive Non-Native Species Management Plan

5.1. Step 1 – Understanding Your Site

5.1.1. Environmental Conditions Affecting Biosecurity

  1. The Array is located in the North Sea, out with any protected sites. The nearest protected site is the Firth of Forth Banks Complex Marine Protected Area (MPA), which is located, at its nearest point, approximately 25 km to the west of the site boundary.
  2. Across the site boundary, water depths range between 59 m and 154 m relative to Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT). An average depth within the area was determined as circa 74.5 m, with the shallowest depths to the north-west and deepest to the south of the site boundary.
  3. The mean spring tidal range varied from 2.41 m in the north of the site boundary to 2.34 m in the south, with currents typically flowing in a south-south-westerly direction near the seabed and a southerly direction near the surface. Mean current speeds of 0.21 m/s and 0.27 m/s were captured near the seabed and surface respectively in the north of the site boundary, with smaller mean differences in the centre and to the south between the surface and seabed values.
  4. As the Array is in offshore waters and there are no freshwater run offs in the vicinity, salinity level is expected to be similar to that found in the wider North Sea marine environment.
  5. The Array area is dominated by deep circalittoral sand (A5.27) and is interspersed with deep circalittoral coarse sediment (A5.15), which is characteristic of the North Sea. Other low energy habitats, such as deep circalittoral mud and circalittoral mixed sediments are recorded along the coast and within the Firth of Forth. Finer sediments, moderate energy circalittoral rock, circalittoral mixed sediments, and circalittoral sandy mud were recorded further inshore. Species and communities identified in the data sources and in the site-specific survey for the Array include polychaetes (particularly bristleworm Spiophanes bombyx), dead man’s fingers Alcyonium digitatum, and various echinoderms and bryozoans (such as hornwrack Flustra foliacea).
  6. In addition to this, there are no man-made structures within the Array area, however, there are neighbouring wind farms under construction which may increase the risk of INNS. This section is for illustrative purposes only and will be further updated post-consent.

5.1.2. Information Related to Any Slow or Stationary Periods or Climatic Condition which May Increase Biosecurity Risk

  1. Information regarding the environmental conditions at the Array can be found in volume 2, chapter 7 of the Array EIA Report.
  2. The Array experiences low current speeds and sediment transport, which may increase the biosecurity risk, as there is potential for fouling organisms to easily colonise introduced substrates.

5.1.3. INNS at the Array

  1. No INNS have been recorded during site-specific surveys of the Array (see volume 3, appendix 8.1, annex A). If any were to be recorded in the area prior to finalising the plan, they would be included here, identifying the risk they pose to Scotland’s native species.
  2. Furthermore, the latest post-construction monitoring data from the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm (APEM, 2021) found no evidence for the presence of INNS on wind turbine foundations following the presence of installation vessels from international ports, which is evidence to suggest that the introduction of structures such as offshore wind turbine foundations into the benthic environment doesn’t necessarily lead to the spread of INNS in Scottish waters.

5.2. Step 2 – Understand How INNS Can be Introduced or Spread to Your Site

5.2.1. Vessel/Equipment to be Used in the Array

  1. An example of the vessels and equipment to be used at the Array is provided in Table 5.1   Open ▸ . This table also includes a risk indicator of the potential for INNS to be introduced to the Firth of Forth and surrounding areas as part of these activities. The risk indicator will be updated through professional judgment of the final Array parameters, together with any INNS present in the area (section 5.1.3).

 

Table 5.1:
Example Vessel and Foundation Types to be Used at the Array and/or Involved in the Operation and Maintenance and Decommissioning Phases

Table 5.1: Example Vessel and Foundation Types to be Used at the Array and/or Involved in the Operation and Maintenance and Decommissioning Phases

 

  1. A detailed update of Table 5.1   Open ▸ will be completed once the exact specifications and origins of vessels are known upon appointment of a preferred vessel Contractor during the pre-construction phase.
  2. The Array EIA Report has used a Maximum Design Scenario (MDS), based on the current available information, which includes the use of several vessels and/or foundation types for wind turbines and OSPs ( Table 5.1   Open ▸ ). As this is a ‘live’ document, once specific details of the wind turbines and OSPs, vessels and ancillary equipment are known, this document will be updated accordingly, assigning risk categories for specific infrastructure types as per the methodology set out in section 4.

5.3. Step 3 – Identifying Activities which Risk Introducing Non-Native Species

  1. Table 5.2   Open ▸ provides an indicative list of activities in relation to the Array which may have a significant risk of introducing and/or spreading INNS. This table will be informed from the information in the final Array design and from Step 2 (section 5.2).

Table 5.2:
Site Activities Which Have a Significant Risk of Introducing and/or Spreading INNS

Table 5.2: Site Activities Which Have a Significant Risk of Introducing and/or Spreading INNS