Offshore Human and Socio-Economic Environment

7.1. Commercial Fisheries

7.1.1. Introduction

This section of this Scoping Report identifies the elements of commercial fishing relevant to the Array and considers the scope of assessment on commercial fisheries from the construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning of the Array.

7.1.2. Study Area

The Array is situated within the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) Division 4b Central North Sea. Each ICES Division is divided up into statistical rectangles, allowing fisheries data to be presented on a finer scale.
The commercial fisheries study area has been defined with respect to the ICES statistical rectangles within which the site boundary is located. As shown in Figure 7.1 Open ▸ , the site boundary is mainly situated within ICES rectangle 42E9 with small corners overlapping with 42F0 and 41E9. The site boundary has a 25% overlap with 42E9.
The commercial fisheries study area will be used to identify fisheries activity in the vicinity of the Array. Where relevant, however, data and information from wider areas (i.e. North Sea ICES Divisions 4a, 4b and 4c) will be analysed to provide wider context to the fisheries included in the assessment. Furthermore, the epibenthic beam trawl survey, undertaken in July 2022 to characterise the benthic subtidal ecology baseline, will also be utilised to enhance the commercial fisheries assessment.
As described in section 1, this Scoping Report considers the offshore infrastructure associated with the Array (i.e. wind turbines, Offshore Substation Platforms (OSPs) and inter-array and interconnector cabling). The Proposed offshore export cable corridor(s) and Proposed onshore export cable corridor(s) (including onshore substation at the Proposed landfall location(s)) will be subject to separate consents.

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Figure 7.1: Commercial Fisheries Study Area

7.1.3. Baseline Environment

This section provides a concise summary of the baseline environment of the commercial fisheries study area. Reference should be made to Appendix 10 where a more detailed description is provided.
Stakeholder feedback from the Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) received at the Commercial Fisheries Scoping Workshop on 15 November 2022 (held with representatives from SWFPA and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF)) noted that 42E9 was historically a high intensity fishery for small haddock, therefore, commercial fisheries data are presented between 2011 to 2021, to provide a comprehensive baseline, and to review historical data from the 42E9 area.
The commercial fisheries baseline has been mainly characterised by publicly available MMO data for ICES rectangle 42E9 (MMO, 2017; MMO, 2022). These MMO data are presented in the following paragraphs 492 to 502 and provide a sufficient representation of the UK fishery within ICES rectangle 42E9 as they include information on various parameters, such as gear type and month of catch. The following data sources have or will be considered to take account of international fisheries operating within the study area:

Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data from European Union (EU) vessels (> 12 m in length) in terms of average total fishing effort and average Swept Area Ratio (SAR) for four gear types: demersal otter trawls, dredges, beam trawls and demersal seines between 2016 and 2020 (see paragraph 502).
Data from non-EU countries that operate within the North Sea and are not included in the VMS data, such as Norway, have been requested and will be included in the Array Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report.

Several species of commercial importance were recorded during the site-specific benthic surveys that were conducted across the site boundary in July 2022 (Appendix 6 and Appendix 7). These include queen scallop Aequipecten opercularis, plaice Pleuronectes platessa, lemon sole Microstomus kitt, long rough dab Hippoglossoides platessoides, common dab Limanda limanda, Norway pout Trisopterus esmarkii and grey gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus.
The sale of fish and the fisheries supply chain will be included in the impact assessments undertaken during the EIA process and will be considered if any potential impacts to commercial fisheries are concluded to be significant. The Commercial Fisheries chapter of the Array EIA Report will only cover the impacts to commercial fisheries up to the point of first sale by commercial fishers. Supply chain effects of suppliers and processors will be discussed in greater detail within the Socio-Economic chapter within the Array EIA Report.

Fisheries data between 2011 and 2015

The average annual landed weight and average annual first sales value across the period of 2011 to 2015 was 777.8 tonnes and £809,399, respectively, with variation in the total landed weight and value across years (Appendix 10, Apx. Table 10.2). Between 2011 and 2013, and in 2015, haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, contributed the highest landings weight and first sales value. In 2014, herring Clupea harengus dominated landed weight (262.8 tonnes at a value of £63,576), however, haddock continued to dominate first sales value, despite lower landed weight in comparison to herring (203.3 tonnes at a value of £273,483). Other key species caught across the period of 2011 to 2015 include scallops (Pectinidae), cod Gadus morhua, Nephrops Nephrops norvegicus, whiting Merlangius merlangus, squid (Loligo spp.), plaice, hake Merluccius merluccius, and monks/anglers. Appendix 10, Apx Figure 10.1 Open ▸ shows the first sales value (£,000) for these species across the period of 2011 to 2015.
For demersal species, haddock had highest annual average landings of 618.7 tonnes (£669,343), followed by whiting (26.4 tonnes = £27,642), and plaice (7.4 tonnes = £5,252). Scallops contributed the highest annual average landings of shellfish (13.0 tonnes = £24,573), followed by Nephrops (6.0 tonnes = £36,378), and squid (1.6 tonnes = £7,228).
For pelagic species, herring had the highest annual average landings of 150.3 tonnes (£23,288), followed by mackerel Scomber scombrus (5.0 tonnes = £3,916), however, herring was only landed within the years 2012 to 2014, whereas mackerel was landed each year across 2011 to 2015.
The majority of demersal and pelagic fish landed by UK vessels were caught using demersal trawls and seines, which encompasses otter, Nephrops, shrimp and pair trawls, and all demersal seines (MMO, 2017). Shellfish species were caught using dredges, as well as demersal trawls/seines, and pots and traps.

Fisheries data between 2016 and 2021

The total landed weight and first sales value recorded each year varied between 2016 and 2021, with an average of 131.4 tonnes and value of £122,836 (Appendix 10, Apx. Table 10.3). In 2016, high landings of herring (399.5 tonnes at a value of £195,592) were recorded, however, this species has not been recorded at all in subsequent years. Landings of pelagic species were therefore significantly higher than for demersal or shellfish species in 2016 (420.8 tonnes), however, this has dropped to 1.1 tonnes or below in subsequent years (Appendix 10, Table 10.3).
Haddock contributed the highest proportion of landed weight and value for each year except 2016, where herring was dominant. Other key species throughout 2016 to 2021 include scallops, mackerel, Nephrops, squid, and mixed demersal species. A seasonal trend was observed, with the highest landings recorded in between May to September. Peaks were typically representative of haddock landings, with the exception of peak landings of herring observed in August (255.1 tonnes = £126,997) and September 2016 (144.4 tonnes = £68,596). The first sales value (£,000) for these species is illustrated in Appendix 10, Apx Figure 10.2 Open ▸ and seasonal trends are illustrated in Appendix 10, Apx Figure 10.3 Open ▸ .
Five different gear types were recorded: otter trawls, demersal seine, demersal trawls, dredges, and pots and traps. Otter trawls contributed the highest landings on average over the period of 2016 to 2021, with an annual average landing weight of 129.1 tonnes and first sales value of £102,344. However, this value is skewed by the high landings of herring that were recorded in 2016.
The total landed weight and first sales value in ICES rectangle 42E9 and in all ICES rectangles within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are presented in Table 7.1 Open ▸ . The landings and first sales value within 42E9 have steadily decreased between 2011 and 2021. As illustrated, the landings and first sales value from 42E9 represent a relatively low proportion of the overall UK wide landings values.

Table 7.1: Summary of Key Fisheries Statistics for ICES Rectangle 42E9 and all ICES Rectangles in the UK EEZ between 2011 and 2021 (Source: MMO, 2017, 2022)

Year	Sum of Landed Weight (tonnes)		Sum of First Sales Value (£)
Year	42E9	Whole UK EEZ	42E9	Whole UK EEZ
2011	1063	559,307	1,405,705	832,041,863
2012	1237	591,727	1,023,182	787,909,538
2013	901	590,278	949,180	741,273,208
2014	521	719,403	411,542	864,103,318
2015	168	671,357	257,387	775,136,432
2016	510	701,091.1	316,003	936,160,594
2017	54	726,709.4	94,205	987,640,333
2018	32	699,987.6	58,423	1,002,769,899
2019	32	621,886.0	52,552	986,839,884
2020	80	623,245.5	99,097	830,878,160
2021	81	651,828.1	116,735	921,304,637

Fishing vessel presence and fishing intensity

As illustrated in paragraph 492 et seq., commercial fishing activity is relatively low within ICES rectangle 42E9, and a decrease in landings has been observed from 2011 to 2021 ( Table 7.1 Open ▸ ). As a result, the density of commercial fishing vessel traffic through the commercial fisheries study area is low compared to other areas within the North Sea, as illustrated in Appendix 10, Apx Figure 10.6.
Similarly, the total fishing effort within ICES Rectangle 42E9 is also low in comparison with other areas of the North Sea. As illustrated in Figure 7.2 Open ▸ , fishing effort is minimal within the area of the commercial fisheries study area that overlaps with the Array, with higher effort reported for ICES Rectangle 42F0 and elsewhere in the North Sea. Similarly, the average total fishing effort of EU vessels (including the UK) over 12 m between 2016 and 2020 is low within the site boundary compared to other regions of the North Sea (Appendix 10, Apx Figure 10.5 Open ▸ ).
The SMP for Offshore Wind Energy (Scottish Government, 2020b) notes that “there is potential for areas within E1 to be important fish spawning grounds, including for herring, cod, whiting, plaice and sandeel” and there are potential impacts on commercial fishing in this area (Scottish Government, 2020b). Appendix 10, Apx Figure 10.7 Open ▸ shows the average SAR for EU vessels (including the UK) over 12 m is low within the site boundary, in comparison to other areas of the North Sea, however, specific data for international fisheries is not included in this Scoping Report. It is acknowledged that fishers from other European jurisdictions such as Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands may also access this ICES Rectangle and, therefore, there may be potential for impacts upon international fisheries. Data has been requested and consultation with other jurisdictions will be undertaken and presented in the Array EIA Report. This includes fisheries data requested from Norwegian vessels and obtained from the EU Data Collection Framework (DCF) database.

Figure 7.2: Total Fishing Effort of UK Vessels (>15 m) in 2020 (kW/h) (Source: Marine Scotland, 2021c)

7.1.4. Potential Array Impacts

A list of all potential impacts on commercial fisheries which may occur during the construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning phases of the Array in the absence of designed in measures is included in Table 7.2 Open ▸ .

Table 7.2: Potential Impacts Identified for Commercial Fisheries in the Absence of Designed In Measures

Potential Impact	Justification
Construction
Temporary loss or restricted access to fishing grounds	The implementation of safety zones around construction zones may result in temporary loss and/or restricted access to fishing grounds.
Displacement of fishing activity into other areas	Fishing activity may be temporarily displaced to other areas due to loss of grounds and/or restricted access to grounds during the construction phase.
Interference with fishing activity	There is potential for transiting vessels associated with the construction phase to cause interference or conflict with fishing activity and gears.
Increased steaming/vessel transit times	The presence of safety zones around construction zones may result in temporary increases in steaming times and routes to and from fishing grounds for fishing vessels.
Increased snagging risk, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear	The presence of infrastructure, such as mooring lines suspended in the water column, cables awaiting burial, and other seabed obstacles, may pose a snagging risk to fishing vessels, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear.
Impacts to commercially exploited species populations	Impacts of the Array on fish and shellfish receptors during the construction phase are presented in section 6.2. These involve temporary habitat loss, increased underwater noise and increased SSCs.
Operation and Maintenance
Long term loss or restricted access to fishing grounds	The presence of offshore infrastructure within the Array may result in a loss or restricted access to fishing grounds during the operation and maintenance phase. This is based on the assumption that fishing is highly unlikely to resume within the Array, as access will be restricted due to the presence of floating turbine mooring systems and associated infrastructure. At present, the floating turbine mooring and anchoring system is not confirmed, therefore, once the MDS is available at the EIA stage, this will be assessed to confirm the extent of loss and/or restriction and associated impacts with regard to commercial fishing.
Displacement of fishing activity into other areas	Fishing activity may be displaced to other areas due to loss of grounds and/or restricted access to grounds due to the presence of offshore infrastructure and/or maintenance works.
Interference with fishing activity	There is potential for transiting vessels associated with the operation and maintenance phase to cause interference or conflict with fishing activity and gears.
Increased steaming/vessel transit times	The presence of safety zones around maintenance works may result in temporary increases in steaming times and routes to and from fishing grounds for fishing vessels.
Increased snagging risk, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear	The presence of infrastructure such as cable/scour protection, and other seabed obstacles, may pose a snagging risk to fishing vessels, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear. The extent of this impact will be assessed at the EIA stage once the floating turbine mooring and anchoring system is confirmed.
Impacts to commercially exploited species populations	Impacts of the Array on fish and shellfish receptors during the operation and maintenance phase are presented in section 6.2. These involve long-term habitat loss, EMF from subsea cabling and colonisation of hard structures.
Decommissioning
Temporary loss or restricted access to fishing grounds	The implementation of safety zones around decommissioning activities may result in temporary loss and/or restricted access to fishing grounds.
Displacement of fishing activity into other areas	Fishing activity may be temporarily displaced to other areas due to loss of grounds and/or restricted access to grounds during the decommissioning phase.
Interference with fishing activity	There is potential for transiting vessels associated with the decommissioning phase to cause interference or conflict with fishing activity and gears.
Increased steaming/vessel transit times	The presence of safety zones around decommissioning activity zones may result in temporary increases in steaming times and routes to and from fishing grounds for fishing vessels.
Increased snagging risk, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear	The presence of infrastructure associated with the decommissioning phase, and other seabed obstacles, may pose a snagging risk to fishing vessels, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear
Impacts to commercially exploited species populations	Impacts of the Array on fish and shellfish receptors during the decommissioning phase are presented in section 6.2. These involve temporary habitat loss, increased underwater noise and increased SSCs.

7.1.5. Designed in Measures

The following designed in measures, and how these can reduce potential for impact, have been considered in the identification of potential impacts that have been scoped into the Array assessment ( Table 7.4 Open ▸ ):

ongoing consultation with the fishing industry and appointment of a Fisheries Liaison Officer (FLO);
development of a Fisheries Management and Mitigation Strategy (FMMS);
adherence to good practice guidance with regards to fisheries liaison (e.g. Fishing Liaison with Offshore Wind and Wet Renewables Group (FLOWW), 2014, 2015);
timely and efficient distribution of NtM, Kingfisher notifications and other navigational warnings of the position and nature of works associated with the Array;
implementation of a VMP and Navigational Safety Plan (NSP);
notification to the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) of the proposed works to facilitate the promulgation of maritime safety information and updating of nautical charts and publications; and
liaison with Fisheries Industry Representatives (FIRs), as appropriate.

7.1.6. Relevant Consultations

A summary of the details of the consultations with relevant stakeholders and Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs) undertaken to date is presented in Table 7.3 Open ▸ .

Table 7.3: Summary of Key Consultation on the Scoping Assessment for the Array

Date	Consultee	Type of Consultation	Summary of Consultation	Where Addressed?
15 November 2022	SFF, SWFPA, North and East Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (NECRIFG), MS-LOT, MSS and NatureScot	Scoping workshop	Stakeholders questioned whether further international data would be considered.	Further international data sources that will be considered within the Array EIA Report were detailed within paragraph 502, and within section 10.3.2 in Appendix 10.
15 November 2022		Scoping workshop	SWFPA noted that ICES Rectangle 42E9 was historically fished for haddock prior to 2016, before becoming economically unviable and fishing reduced.	MMO data were originally presented from 2016 to 2021, however in light of this feedback, data from 2011 to 2015 was also included. Although now somewhat dated, these 2011 to 2015 data provide clearer insight into the steady decline of fishing activity within ICES Rectangle 42E9 and add weight to this scoping report as a result. This is addressed in paragraph 488, and in greater detail in section 10.3.1 in Appendix 10.

7.1.7. Potential Impacts After the Implementation of Designed in Measures

The impacts that have been scoped into the Array assessment are outlined in Table 7.4 Open ▸ together with a description of any additional data collection (e.g. site-specific surveys) and/or supporting analyses (e.g. modelling) that may be required to enable a full assessment of the impacts.
At this stage, there are no impacts that have been proposed to be scoped out of the Array assessment.

Table 7.4: Potential Impacts Proposed to be Scoped in to the Array Environmental Impact Assessment for Commercial Fisheries. Project Phase Refers to Construction (C), Operation and Maintenance (O) and Decommissioning (D) Phase of the Array

Potential Impact	Project Phase			Justification (including consideration of designed in measures)	Data Collection and Analysis Required to Characterise the Baseline Environment for the EIA	Summary of Proposed Approach to Assessment
Potential Impact	C	O	D			Summary of Proposed Approach to Assessment
Temporary loss or restricted access to fishing grounds				The implementation of safety zones around construction and decommissioning activity zones may result in temporary loss and/or restricted access to fishing grounds. The designed in measures outlined in section 7.1.5 are all applicable to this impact.	Analysis of fisheries data and information and consultation with fisheries stakeholders will be used to characterise the commercial fisheries baseline for the Array EIA Report.	No modelling is proposed for this impact. Instead, a qualitative assessment will be undertaken to assess potential impacts upon commercial fisheries receptors. This qualitative assessment will be based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of fisheries data.
Long term loss or restricted access to fishing grounds				The presence of offshore infrastructure within the Array may result in a loss or restricted access to fishing grounds during the operation and maintenance phase. As floating offshore wind is a relatively new technology, there is limited information available on the scale of this impact in regard to recommencement of fishing grounds during the operation and maintenance phase. The extent of impact may vary depending upon the floating turbine mooring system employed. This will be established in the MDS for the Array EIA Report and will be assessed through the EIA process. The designed in measures outlined in section 7.1.5 are all applicable to this impact.
Displacement of fishing activity into other areas				Fishing activity may be temporarily displaced to other areas due to loss of grounds and/or restricted access to grounds during the construction and decommissioning phases (e.g. within vessel safety zones) and throughout lifespan of operation and maintenance. The designed in measures outlined in section 7.1.5 are all applicable to this impact.
Interference with fishing activity				There is potential for transiting vessels associated with the construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning phases to cause interference or conflict with fishing activity and gears. The designed in measures outlined in section 7.1.5 are all applicable to this impact.
Increased snagging risk, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear				The presence of infrastructure associated with construction (e.g. cables awaiting burial), operation and maintenance (e.g. cable/scour protection), decommissioning (e.g. accidentally dropped objects) and other seabed obstacles, may pose a snagging risk to fishing vessels, which could result in loss or damage to fishing gear. The extent of impact may vary depending upon the floating turbine mooring and anchoring system employed. This will be established in the MDS for the Array EIA Report and will be assessed through the EIA process. The designed in measures outlined in section 7.1.5 are all applicable to this impact. It should be noted that this may also have impacts regarding the safety of the fishing vessels and their crew. Safety risks associated with snagging will be assessed with navigational risks, within Shipping and Navigation (section 7.2).	Outcomes of the shipping and navigation impact assessment, analysis of fisheries data and information and consultation with fisheries stakeholders will be used to characterise the commercial fisheries baseline for the Array EIA Report.
Increased steaming / vessel transit times				The presence of safety zones around works during the construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning phases may result in temporary increases in steaming times and routes to and from fishing grounds for fishing vessels. The designed in measures outlined in section 7.1.5 are all applicable to this impact.
Impacts to commercially exploited species populations				Impacts of the Array on fish and shellfish receptors during all three phases of the Array are presented in section 6.2. These involve the following impacts: increased subsea noise, increased SSCs and associated sediment deposition, temporary habitat loss and disturbance, long term habitat loss and disturbance, effects to fish and shellfish ecology due to EMFs from subsea cabling, and colonisation of hard structures.	As described in section 6.2, the site-specific benthic ecology survey provides a characterisation of the seabed habitats which will allow for assessment of habitat suitability for various fish species (e.g. herring, sandeel and other species with specific habitat requirements), to ensure the baseline characterisation is site specific and up to date. The epibenthic beam trawl survey, undertaken in July 2022 to characterise the benthic subtidal ecology baseline, will be utilised to enhance the existing data for fish and shellfish within the Array fish and shellfish study area, and this will be used to inform the commercial fisheries assessment.	Further detail is provided in section 6.2 on the summary of the proposed approach to assessment for each impact to commercially exploited species populations.

7. Offshore Human and Socio-Economic Environment

7.1. Commercial Fisheries

7.1.1. Introduction

7.1.2. Study Area

7.1.3. Baseline Environment

Fisheries data between 2011 and 2015

Fisheries data between 2016 and 2021

Fishing vessel presence and fishing intensity

7.1.4. Potential Array Impacts

7.1.5. Designed in Measures

7.1.6. Relevant Consultations

7.1.7. Potential Impacts After the Implementation of Designed in Measures