Vision for sustainable aquaculture: island communities impact assessment

5. Is a full Island Communities Impact Assessment required?

5.1 Are there mitigations in place for the impacts identified and noted above from stakeholders and community consultations?

Yes – detail provided under previous points in Step Four

5.2 Does the evidence show different circumstances or different expectations or needs, or different experiences or outcomes (such as levels of satisfaction, or different rates of participation)?

Evidence from stakeholders has suggested that there are limited differences in circumstances between island communities and those on the mainland that host aquaculture businesses. As mainland aquaculture businesses are located in rural areas within the highlands and Argyll & Bute, similar issues are raised, for example in relation to infrastructure and demographics.

5.3 Are these different effects likely?

No

5.4 Are these effects significantly different?

No

5.5 Could the effect amount to a disadvantage for an island community compared to the mainland or between island groups?

No - due to the locations of existing aquaculture developments and where industry anticipates further development, we do not believe the outcomes of the Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture will disadvantage island community groups compared to the mainland or other island groups. We expect the Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture to support the development of responsible, sustainable aquaculture across Scotland.