Environmental marine conservation assessments

There is a need for environmental assessments called ‘Appropriate Assessments’ to be undertaken when certain industry operations occur within European marine nature conservation sites.

Fishing and aquaculture activities taking place in and around European Marine Sites - Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs) around the UK may be subject to statutory environmental assessments (known as Appropriate Assessments).

Below are some examples of past appropriate assessments on a variety of fisheries in different European Marine Sites, impacting on a range of protected benthic habitats and species with examples of measures to mitigate adverse effect and allow fisheries to proceed.

Case studies:     

1. Solent oysters   
2. Carmarthen mussels   
3. Cockle fishing in the Solway
4. Cockle dredging in the Solway     
5. Shetland mariculture  
6. Poole clams   
7. Morecambe mussels   
8. Wash cockles 
9. Moray herring   
10. Solway mussels   

For further information contact:

Mark Gray
Environmental Assessment Support Officer
t: 01248 605038
e: m_gray@seafish.co.uk