Offshore wind energy - draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan: Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area Assessment
The purpose of the Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area ("NCMPA") Assessment is to determine the potential impacts of the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy activities on NCMPAs and their features.
Overview
An NCMPA assessment has been undertaken and an NCMPA assessment report has been prepared as best practice. This provides Scottish Ministers with the information to support their duties in relation to MPAs in Scottish inshore (territorial) and offshore waters.
The NCMPA assessment of the draft updated Plan has been undertaken as a high-level desk-based assessment, reflecting the broad and national scope of the draft updated Plan, and has been based on the best available evidence, drawing on a range of sources and data. The outcomes of the assessment have been reported in individual assessment tables for each of the four NCMPAs screened into the assessment. These individual assessment tables ensure a transparent and consistent process is followed, and a clear audit is provided of the conclusions for each site.
The four NCMPAs that have been screened into the assessment are as follows:
- Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA;
- Turbot Bank NCMPA;
- Firth of Forth Banks Complex NCMPA; and
- East of Gannet and Montrose Fields NCMPA.
An assessment of the impacts of the draft updated Plan activities on each of these NCMPAs and protected features both alone and in-combination with others plans and projects has been undertaken, taking account of the relevant conservation objectives and management advice for these features.
Provided that the project level mitigation measures identified are secured and implemented, the draft updated Plan activities will not significantly hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives of Turbot Bank NCMPA and Firth of Forth Banks Complex NCMPA.
The draft updated Plan activities have the potential to significantly hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives of East of Gannet and Montrose Fields NCMPA and Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain NCMPA. This is because it is considered unlikely or not possible to avoid the protected features. Specific project level mitigation measures have been suggested to reduce the risk of significantly hindering the achievement of the conservation objectives.
Please note this document is available as a PDF only from the above supporting documents section.