National Marine Plan 2 Steering Group minutes: September 2024

Attendees and apologies

External

• Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers
• Coastal Communities Network (CCN)
• Communities Inshore Fisheries Alliance (CIFA)
• Crown Estate Scotland (CES) 
• European Subsea Cables Association
• Fisheries Management Scotland 
• Historic Environment Scotland (HES) 
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) 
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) 
• NatureScot 
• North and East Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group
• North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) 
• North West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group
• Northern Lighthouse Board 
• Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) 
• Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) 
• Orkney Regional Inshore Fisheries Group
• Outer Hebrides Regional Inshore Fisheries Group
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland (RSPB Scotland) 
• Salmon Scotland
• Scottish Enterprise (SE) 
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) 
• Scottish Fishermen Federation (SFF) 
• Scottish Islands Federation
• Scottish Renewables
• Scottish Seaweed Industry Association
• Scottish Environment Link (SE Link)
• Sectoral marine planning 
• Shetland Regional Inshore Fisheries Group
• South West Coast Regional Inshore Fisheries Group
• Visit Scotland 

Scottish Government

• Marine Policy and Planning, Marine Directorate 
• Science, Evidence, Data and Digital, Marine Directorate
• Sectoral Marine Planning, Offshore Wind Directorate

Apologies

• British Trout Association
• Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Division, Directorate for Local Government and Housing  
• Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) 
• South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) 
• UK Chamber of Shipping (UKCoS) 

Items and actions

Welcome and general update on National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) progress 

Scottish Government officials from the NMP2 team welcomed members of the steering group and noted that minutes will be shared with the group for review prior to publishing. 

The progress on the development of NMP2 and the update to Statement of Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, were presented. The next stage in NMP2 development is a publication of the Planning Position Statement (PPS) later in the autumn.  

The stakeholder engagement programme held during spring and summer 2024 was described and thanks was extended to the steering group for their help in sharing information on the engagement events with their members. 

Feedback on the engagement was welcomed and requests should be sent to nationalmarineplanning@gov.scot 

The need for communications to be as simple as possible, and to highlight the importance of NMP2 and how it may impact stakeholders was recommended for future engagements by members of the group. 

A query was raised on the suggested duration of the PPS consultation of eight weeks as opposed to 12 weeks. Officials responded that this decision had been influenced by very tight delivery timeline for NMP2 and to avoid running the consultation over Christmas.

Post meeting note: The public consultation on the PPS opened on 05 November and closed on 28 January (extended to 5 February). Details can be found at: National Marine Plan 2 - planning position statement: consultation - gov.scot 

SEIA methodology presentation (AECOM)

The consultant provided an overview of the Socio-Economic Impacts Assessment (SEIA), outlined the scope of work and the contribution of SEIA to the Sustainability Appraisal (SA). Due to the nature of the NMP2 as planning framework, the assessment will not be a spatial or sector specific assessment but will consider implications of national policies. 

The methodology for the SEIA was developed through:

• consideration of relevant guidance and legislation
• review of feedback on scope of SEIA 
• confirmation of scenarios for assessment 
• defining impacts and metrics for assessment

Key inputs for the SEIA approach are the development of future marine scenarios, in consultation with stakeholders and utilise a qualitative assessment. 

The following points were raised by steering group members: 

• SEIA will need to differentiate between the inshore fisheries sector and the offshore fisheries sector in the analysis
• estimates of Full Time Equivalent should include those directly employed on fishing boats and the onshore jobs supported through fishing activity
• future potential fishing opportunities particularly as stocks and fleet composition can change should be considered in the assessment 
• clarification is required on how Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) will be considered and how sectors not specifically covered by the future scenarios will be considered in the assessment 
• further detail on relationship between SEA and SEIA and how impacts of policies will be assessed in relation to socioeconomic benefits of communities would be appreciated 

SG Officials clarified that the SEIA stakeholder engagement will focus on those communities identified as most affected in the desk-based research analysis. There will be further opportunities for engagement by the steering group and with marine sectors on the draft assessments. The sustainability appraisal will bring together the outcomes from the SEIA and strategic environmental assessment, habitats regulations appraisal and different impacts. 

Request 1: Steering group to provide comments on SEIA methodology by 25 October 2024. Feedback template provided by the NMP2 team should be returned to nationalmarineplanning@gov.scot

SEA methodology presentation (AtkinsRéalis)   

Consultant presented an overview of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) regulatory requirements, the assessment work and sources of data. AtkinsRéalis have been appointed to complete the Environmental Assessment report including refining the SEA framework, subsequent SEA updates and post adoption statement. They are considering all SEA topics and have added a new topic of Waste and Resources to the assessment. Material assets topic will cover natural and built assets. 

The consultant presented some earlier thinking of implications and opportunities for NMP2 based on their review of environmental issues. 

Scottish Government Officials clarified that as a planning document NMP2 will not include fisheries management measures.

Post meeting note: The opportunities and implications presented by the consultant should not be read as draft policy or policy ideas for NMP2 and have not been discussed or agreed with Marine Directorate. The draft policy ideas for NMP2 have been set out in the Planning Position Statement. 

Post meeting note: The SEA framework will be set out in a technical note to be shared with the steering group. 

Request 2: Steering group were asked to provide comments on SEA methodology by 24 January 2025 (extended to 31 January). Feedback template provided by the NMP2 team was returned to nationalmarineplanning@gov.scot

Natural Capital methodology presentation (AtkinsRéalis)   

Consultant introduced the team working on the Natural Capital approach and presented an overview of the methodology. NMP2 SEA will adopt a Natural Capital approach to framing the baseline for the biodiversity topic by adapting the methodology for the North Devon Biosphere Reserve (Hooper and Austen, 2020).

Queries were raised by steering group members on:

• the data that would be used in the assessment and examples of available data given such as the Natural Capital assessment of the Orkney marine region 
• the consideration of pressures and the role of Feature Activity Sensitivity Tool (FeAST) in the assessment
• consideration of Priority Marine Features list in identifying ecosystem services

Concerns were raised on the proposal to only use fishing activity to estimate condition for the natural capital assessment and clarity is required on whether the methodology will account for different fishing gear types. Steering group members cautioned the use of assumptions in the assessments as policies can have impacts on coastal communities. 

The adoption of the methodology from North Devon to Scottish waters was questioned and queries raised on the alignment with the approach taken by the Marine Management Organisation in England. Eutrophication as a pressure was suggested for inshore waters based on OSPAR reporting.

NMP2 team offered further discussion with fishing representatives on the data to be used in the natural capital assessment. 

Post meeting note: Further detail on natural capital assessment, including how condition is estimated and all pressures evaluated, will be provided in the technical note on the SEA framework. 

It was also highlighted that the slides presented during the steering group meeting contained a huge volume of information, much of which merited discussion. This would only be possible if members had the opportunity to form opinions in advance of the meeting. Officials confirmed that this would be considered for the next meeting. 

Request 3: Steering group were asked to provide comments on Natural Capital methodology by 24 January 2025 (extended to 31 January). Feedback template provided by the NMP2 team was returned to nationalmarineplanning@gov.scot 

HRA methodology presentation (AtkinsRéalis)

The consultants presented the requirements for Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and outlined the HRA process. The work has focused on HRA pre-screening and establishing potential effect pathways. 

The HRA methodology by AtkinsRéalis will be shared with the steering group.

Request 4: Steering group were asked to provide comments on HRA methodology by 24 January 2025 (extended to 31 January). Feedback template provided by the NMP2 team was returned to nationalmarineplanning@gov.scot 

Review of actions and next steps 

Scottish Government officials summarised the next steps in the assessments and NMP2 development progress. The feedback received by the steering group on all assessments will be passed on to the contractors. 

Further steering group meetings will focus on the monitoring and evaluation framework (November 2024) and presenting the assessments reports. NMP2 work in autumn 2024 will focus on the publication of Planning Position Statement, policy options development and the National Marine Planning Forum. 

Action 9: NMP2 team to share the methodologies and feedback spreadsheet.
Action 10: NMP2 team to arrange next steering group meeting.