Natura Aquaculture Interaction

Natura fisheries interaction

Support for MSFD and Biodiversity Support

Project Status:

Ongoing

Aquaculture and Fisheries Interactions with SCI Bird Species

jkeane — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 12:05:10 +0000

Aquaculture and Fisheries Interactions with SCI Bird Species

The capture of spatial data relating to bird use in inshore and offshore environments and interpreting these data as it relates to various anthropogenic activities is important in implementing management actions. Specifically, the capture of data and subsequent analysis will aid in understanding the interactions between bird species of special conservation interest (SCI) in Special Protection Areas (SPAs), and aquaculture and fisheries activities. This is an important requirement to the management and mitigation of these industries in Natura sites and more widely. The proposed provision of scientific ornithology expertise through external contract, as conveyed here, will enable the better measurement and management of the risks inherent to the provision of scientific advice to DAFM on actions potentially affecting SPC species in SPAs.

jkeane Wed, 02/24/2021 - 12:05

Duration:

This project commenced in 2019 and is due to run to 2021

Project Outputs:

• Capture of explicit spatial and temporal bird data as it relates to marine sites in Ireland.
• Published reports to add to current knowledge base re; interactions of anthropogenic activities and SPA conservation features.
• Timely advice to DAFM re: aquaculture and fishery licensing interactions with bird species and bird habitats.
• Ongoing monitoring reports and advice to DAFM

Expected Benefit:

Detail bird use maps in SPA sites subsequently assisting the MI in its provision of advisory services to DAFM on bird and fishery/aquaculture interactions.

Project Cost - Projected:

€175,000

Project Tags:

Phase:

Project Status:

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in seven SPAs

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in SPAs (2019-2020)

jkeane — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 13:57:03 +0000

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in SPAs (2019-2020)

The aquaculture industry is an important economic activity on all coasts of Ireland. A significant proportion of the activity occurs within, or in proximity to, Natura 2000 sites, which are designated areas under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.

Many Natura 2000 sites are designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for wading birds. Such areas, typically inter-tidal mud and sand flats, support nationally and internationally important populations of waders that over-winter in these habitats in Ireland. These bird populations feed on various species of invertebrate that have accumulated in biomass during the summer and early autumn period. Over-wintering survival of wading birds is mainly a question of energetics; availability, access and intake of food must provide sufficient energy to maintain body condition. Significant decline in body condition can lead to mortality or lower reproductive fitness in the following year. The aquaculture industry in SPAs, designated for wading birds, may have an impact on the fitness of these birds. This could come about due to targeted removal of prey species such as bivalves, by causing mortality of other non commercial invertebrate prey species that come into contact with aquaculture installations, by alteration of the habitat and the invertebrate communities it supports and by reducing access to food or time available to feed by disturbing flocks of feeding birds.

Article 6 of the Habitats Directive requires that the impact of projects or plans, such as aquaculture enterprises or licencing of fisheries, be appropriately assessed in relation to the feature (habitat, species) for which the site was designated, so that the likelihood of significant effects on the feature can be objectively estimated. Only when the likelihood of significance has been discounted can these activities be licenced in Natura 2000 sites. This project will investigate the interactions between proposed aquaculture activities and Natura features (birds) in a number of new SPA sites as well as a number of sites assessed previously but with additional aquaculture applications to consider. The challenge with these latter sites is to adequately consider the cumulative effects of additional aquaculture applications on the conservation features of the sites.

jkeane Tue, 04/28/2020 - 13:57

Duration:

The project has a 2 year duration and runs between 2019 and 2020.

Project Outputs:

Full or updated appropriate assessment reports for aquaculture activities in a number of SPAs (Castlemaine SPA (004029), Inner Galway Bay SPA (004033), Bannow Bay SPA (4020), River Shannon ad Fergus Estuary SPA (4077) and Balllyteigue Burrow SPA (004020)) to AFMD – DAFM and follow-up advisory services.

Expected Benefit:

1. Assessments of aquaculture activities in relation to conservation objectives of SPA sites;

2. Support to aquaculture licencing decisions in relation to Natura sites;

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Cost - Projected:

€80,000

Related Projects:

Appropriate Assessment Reports and Advisory Services of Aquaculture Activities in Special Protection Areas (SPAs)

Project Tags:

Measure the Effectiveness of Mitigation Measures of Managed Activities (Aquaculture) Carried Out in Natura Sites

Phase:

Project Status:

Ongoing

Measure the effectiveness of mitigation measures of managed activities (aquaculture) carried out in Natura sites – monitoring and baseline data collection.

jkeane — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:50:19 +0000

Measure the effectiveness of mitigation measures of managed activities (aquaculture) carried out in Natura sites – monitoring and baseline data collection.

This project was designed to measure the effectiveness of management or mitigation measures taken as part of aquaculture licencing decisions to reduce or minimise risk to conservation features. Such measures are likely to be of the form of, 1) licence conditions that place certain constraints on activities in certain areas or, 2) redrawing site boundaries. The response of the conservation features to such measures will have to be considered.

This project continued to monitor the response of shorebirds to a reconfiguration of oyster trestles in Dungarvan Harbour SPA (commenced during 2016/2017 winter season). The reconfiguration of trestles allowed for a tidal break to allow shorebirds free movement up and down the shore. The tidal break provides for a single clear corridor of approximately 400 metres. This break is considered an exclusion zone with no shellfish culture activities permitted. For example, travel must avoid this area. Travel across this area will only be permitted across the top of the shore (i.e. in the high intertidal zone). The response of shorebirds, in particular Grey plover, to the creation of this exclusion zone will be monitored during 2018/19 as part of this project.

Surveys were carried out in Bannow Bay SPA to augment shorebird counts to provide greater confidence in the conclusions of the AA reports and subsequent management decisions.

Assessing the impact of aquaculture activity in Shannon Estuary and Wexford Harbour continued during 2019. Monitoring consists of assessing the interactions between bottom mussel dredging activity in Wexford Harbour and how it interacts with site use by the Greenland Whitefronted Geese at the North Slob portion of the SPA. Shannon Estuary monitoring consists of targeted counts of shorebirds in Poulnasherry Bay. Baseline winter low water shorebird counts data collection were required in Castlemaine Harbour SPA to identify sensitive/important bird habitat and areas. These data will be used to validate existing and facilitate future licencing decisions.

A broader survey of SPA sites designated for shorebirds was conducted to calculate annual trends to relate to aquaculture activities at the sites. This includes the acquisition of shorebird trend data from NPWS/Birdwatch and mapping of trestle cover (to reflect levels of activities). This study will help determine the relationship between broader trends in bird numbers with aquaculture activities to aid future planning of aquaculture activities.

jkeane Fri, 04/24/2020 - 15:50

Duration:

The project has a 4 year duration and runs between 2019 and 2022.

Project Outputs:

Monitoring of effectiveness of mitigation measures :

Response of shorebirds to a reconfiguration of oyster trestles in Dungarvan Harbour SPA.
Monitoring of shore birds in Bannow Bay SPA.
Monitoring of targeted counts of shorebirds in Poulnasherry Bay as part of Shannon Estuary.
Baseline low water bird counts in Castlemaine Harbour SPA (Winter 2019).
SPA shorebird population trend analysis allied with site usage (trestle mapping). Production of report.

Reports for each monitoring site are produced annually in March. The reports outline the links between SPA site usage and population status of shorebird species to inform future licencing decisions.

Expected Benefit:

Validation of licensing decisions taken at sites to allow adaptive management of aquaculture in Natura sites.

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn, Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Cost - Actual

€343,600

Project Cost - Projected:

€346,000

Related Projects:

Project Tags:

Phase:

Project Status:

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in nine SACs

Publication

Dungarvan Waterbird 2021-22 Dungarvan Waterbird 2021-22

Publication

Dungarvan Waterbird 2020-21 Dungarvan Waterbird 2020-21

Publication

Dungarvan Waterbird 2019-20 Dungarvan Waterbird 2019-20

Publication

Dungarvan Waterbird 2018-19 Dungarvan Waterbird 2018-19

Publication

Dungarvan Waterbird 2017-18 Dungarvan Waterbird 2017-18

Publication

Dungarvan Waterbird 2016-17 Dungarvan Waterbird 2016-17

Publication

Dungarvan Waterbird 2014-15 Dungarvan Waterbird 2014-15

Publication

Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2022-23 Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2022-23

Publication

Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2021-22 Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2021-22

Publication

Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2020-21 Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2020-21

Publication

Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2019-20 Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2019-20

Publication

Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2018-19 Poulnasherry Waterbird Survey 2018-19

Publication

Bannow Winter Bird 2017 - 2018 Bannow Winter Bird 2017 - 2018

Publication

Bannow Winter Bird 2018 - 2019 Bannow Winter Bird 2018 - 2019

Publication

Bannow Winter Bird 2019 - 2020 Bannow Winter Bird 2019 - 2020

Publication

Bannow Winter Bird 2020 - 2021 Bannow Winter Bird 2020 - 2021

Publication

Bannow Winter Bird 2021 - 2022 Bannow Winter Bird 2021 - 2022

Publication

Bannow Winter Bird 2022 - 2023 Bannow Winter Bird 2022 - 2023

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in SACs (2019-2020)

jkeane — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 15:43:21 +0000

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in SACs (2019-2020)

As identified, the aquaculture industry is an important economic activity on all coasts of Ireland. The inshore aquaculture industry produces a variety of shellfish as well as salmon and trout. A significant proportion of the activity occurs within, or proximate to, Natura 2000 sites which are environmentally designated areas under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.

These sites have a special status in that the features (habitats and species) for which they are designated must, in the long term, not be allowed to deteriorate. They are not closed areas or areas which aquaculture need explicitly to be prohibited. Rather the activity of any industry must be planned in order that the risk they pose to the designated environmental features can be appropriately assessed and the scale and type of activity can be regulated such that the impacts to the environment in the long term are mitigated.

Article 6 of the Habitats Directive requires that the impact of projects or plans, such as aquaculture enterprises, be appropriately assessed in relation to the feature (habitat, species) for which the site was designated, so that the likelihood of significant effects on the feature can be objectively estimated. Only when the likelihood of significance has been discounted can these activities be licenced in Natura 2000 sites. This project will investigate the interactions between proposed aquaculture activities and conservation features in a number of new SAC sites as well as a number of sites assessed previously but with additional aquaculture applications to consider. The challenge with these latter sites is to adequately consider the cumulative effects of additional aquaculture applications on the conservation features of the sites.

jkeane Fri, 04/24/2020 - 15:43

Duration:

The project has a 2 year duration and runs between 2019 and 2020.

Project Outputs:

Outsourced services for Appropriate assessments:

To include updating AA reports and ongoing advisory services for a number of SACs (e.g., Castlemaine Harbour SPA (00343), Galway Bay Complex SAC (0268), Lower River Shannon SAC (2165), Clew Bay SAC (1482)) and preparation of full assessment reports for Streedagh Points Dunes SAC (1680) and West Connaught Coast SAC (2998). In addition, ad-hoc screening exercises for non-Natura bays will include consideration of adjacent SAC sites.

Expected Benefit:

Assessments of aquaculture activities in relation to conservation objectives of SACs;
Support to aquaculture licencing decisions in relation to Natura sites.

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn, Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Cost - Projected:

€50,000

Related Projects:

Appropriate Assessment Reports and Advisory Services of Aquaculture Activities in Two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

Project Tags:

Phase:

Project Status:

Ongoing

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in nine SACs

dkelly — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:13:25 +0000

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in nine SACs

These sites have a special status in that the features (habitats and species) for which they are designated must, in the long term, not be allowed to deteriorate. They are not closed areas or areas which aquaculture need explicitly to be prohibited. Rather the activity of any industry must be planned, in order that the risk they pose to the designated environmental features, can be appropriately assessed, and the scale and type of activity can be regulated such that the impacts to the environment in the long term are mitigated.

Article 6 of the Habitats Directive requires that the impact of projects or plans, such as aquaculture enterprises, be appropriately assessed in relation to the feature (habitat, species) for which the site was designated, so that the likelihood of significant effects on the feature can be objectively estimated. Only when the likelihood of significance has been discounted can these activities be licenced in Natura 2000 sites. This project will investigate the interactions between proposed aquaculture activities and Natura features (habitats and species) in Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and make licencing recommendations and advisory services in relation to subsequent management of aquaculture activities in the sites. The SACs of interest are Castlemaine SAC (000343), Ballysadare SAC (000622), Killala Bay/Moy Estuary SAC (000458), Ballyness Bay SAC (001090), Rutland Island and Sound SAC (002283), Courtmacsherry Estuary SAC (001230), Clonakilty Bay SAC (0091), Great Island Channel SAC (001058), Carlingford Shore SAC (002306).

dkelly Wed, 06/27/2018 - 07:13

Duration:

The project has a 2 year duration and runs between 2017 and 2018.

Project Outputs:

Appropriate assessment reports for aquaculture activities in the nine SACs of interest.

Expected Benefit:

1. Assessments of aquaculture activities in relation to conservation objectives of nine SACs
2. Support to aquaculture licencing decisions in relation to Natura sites

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn, Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Tags:

Project Status:

Appropriate Assessment Reports and Advisory Services of Aquaculture Activities in Special Protection Areas (SPAs)

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in seven SPAs

dkelly — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:12:10 +0000

Appropriate Assessment of Aquaculture Activities in seven SPAs

The aquaculture industry is an important economic activity on all coasts of Ireland. A significant proportion of the activity occurs within, or in proximity to, Natura 2000 sites which are designated areas under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.

The aquaculture industry in SPAs, designated for wading birds, may have an impact on the fitness of these birds. This could come about due to targeted removal of prey species such as bivalves; by causing mortality of other non-commercial invertebrate prey species that come into contact with aquaculture installations; by alteration of the habitat and the invertebrate communities it supports and by reducing access to food or time available to feed by disturbing flocks of feeding birds.

Article 6 of the Habitats Directive requires that the impact of projects or plans, such as aquaculture enterprises or licencing of fisheries, be appropriately assessed in relation to the feature (habitat, species) for which the site was designated, so that the likelihood of significant effects on the feature can be objectively estimated. Only when the likelihood of significance has been discounted can these activities be licenced in Natura 2000 sites. This project will investigate the interactions between proposed aquaculture activities and Natura features (birds) in seven SPAs and make recommendations in relation to subsequent licencing and management of aquaculture activities in the sites. The SPAs of interest are Clonakilty Bay SPA (4081), Castlemaine SPA (004029), Ballysadare Bay SPA (004129), Killala Bay/Moy Estuary SPA (004036), Courtmacsherry Bay SPA (004219), Cork Harbour SPA (004030), Carlingford Lough SPA (002306).

dkelly Wed, 06/27/2018 - 07:12

Duration:

The project has a 2 year duration and runs between 2017 and 2018.

Project Outputs:

Appropriate assessment reports for aquaculture activities in the seven SPAs of interest to Aquaculture and Foreshore Management Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine) and follow-up advisory services.

Expected Benefit:

1. Assessments of aquaculture activities in relation to conservation objectives of seven SPAs
2. Support to aquaculture licencing decisions in relation to Natura sites

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn Marine Institute, Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Cost - Projected:

€140,000

Related Projects:

Project Tags:

Project Status:

Publication

Project Insert Project Insert

Measure the Effectiveness of Mitigation Measures of Managed Activities (Aquaculture) Carried Out in Natura Sites

dkelly — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 07:00:19 +0000

Measure the Effectiveness of Mitigation Measures of Managed Activities (Aquaculture) Carried Out in Natura Sites

This project is designed to measure the effectiveness of management or mitigation measures taken as part of aquaculture licencing decisions to reduce or minimise risk to conservation features. Such measures are likely to be of the form of, 1) licence conditions that place certain constraints on activities in certain areas or, 2) redrawing site boundaries. The response of the conservation features to such measures will have to be considered.

This project will continue to monitor the response of shorebirds to a reconfiguration of oyster trestles in Dungarvan Harbour SPA (commenced during 2016/2017 winter season as part of the 2016 Marine Biodiversity Scheme projects). The proposed reconfiguration of trestles allows for a tidal break to allow shorebirds free movement up and down the shore. The tidal break will provide for a single clear corridor of approximately 400 metres. This break will be considered an exclusion zone with no shellfish culture activities permitted. For example, travel must avoid this area. Travel across this area will only be permitted across the top of the shore (i.e. in the high intertidal zone). The response of shorebirds, in particular Grey plover, to the creation of this exclusion zone will be monitored during 2018/19 as part of this project.

Additional surveying will be carried out in Bannow Bay SPA to augment shorebird counts with a view to providing greater confidence to the conclusions of the Appropriate Assessment (AA) reports and subsequent management decisions.

Assessing the impact of aquaculture activity in Shannon Estuary and Wexford Harbour will commence during 2018. Monitoring will consist of assessing the interactions between bottom mussel dredging activity in Wexford Harbour and how it interacts with site use by the Greenland White-fronted Geese at the North Slob portion of the SPA. Shannon Estuary monitoring will consist of targeted counts of shorebirds in Poulnasherry Bay. Baseline data collection for low-water shorebird counts in winter will be required in Castlemaine Harbour SPA in order to identify sensitive/important bird habitat and areas. These data will be used to facilitate future licencing decisions.

dkelly Wed, 06/27/2018 - 07:00

Duration:

The project has a 2 year duration and runs between 2017 and 2018.

Project Outputs:

Reports for each monitoring site to be produced in March 2019.

Expected Benefit:

Validation of licencing decisions taken at sites to allow adaptive management of aquaculture in Natura sites.

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Cost - Projected:

€145,000

Project Tags:

Project Status:

Natura Site Specific Surveys and Investigations in Relation to Interactions Between Bird Use and Aquaculture practices

dkelly — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 06:45:58 +0000

Natura Site Specific Surveys and Investigations in Relation to Interactions Between Bird Use and Aquaculture practices

A number of short studies are required to complement the aquaculture advice provided by the Marine Institute to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in relation to licencing decisions and mitigation measures. A number of targeted studies were required including:

A study of aquaculture interactions with Greenland White Fronted Geese in Wexford
A review of site usage and aquaculture profile and analysis of mussel dredgers, fishery and recreational vessels in Wexford Harbour
A study on the likely disturbance by vessels on Merganser in Wexford Harbour
Oyster Catcher feeding study in Dundalk

dkelly Wed, 06/27/2018 - 06:45

Duration:

The project had a 1 year duration and project work was carried out in 2016.

Project Outputs:

A review of site use by Greenland White-Fronted geese in the North Slobs was considered in light of vessel usage at aquaculture sites to the south of the sea wall. It was concluded that the closest and the greatest potential for disturbance would occur when one vessel was in transit to one of the aquaculture sites. The likely interactions were not considered as a disturbance if the site usage and vessel activities were to remain consistent with those considered in the review. Further examination might be required to increase confidence levels.

Three days of observations of the Merganser response to vessel activities were reported and some strong flushing responses were noted for all vessels. The outcome of the study can contribute towards advising on the level of vessel activities permitted within the SPA.

Expected Benefit:

1. Improved advisory services in relation to site specific interactions between bird use and aquaculture practices
2. Support to aquaculture licencing decisions in relation to Natura sites

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Cost - Actual

€15,000

Project Tags:

Project Status:

Appropriate Assessment Reports and Advisory Services of Aquaculture Activities in Two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

dkelly — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 06:42:53 +0000

Appropriate Assessment Reports and Advisory Services of Aquaculture Activities in Two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

The aquaculture industry is an important economic activity on all coasts of Ireland. The inshore aquaculture industry produces a variety of shellfish as well as salmon and trout. A significant proportion of the activity occurs within, or proximate to, Natura 2000 sites which are environmentally designated areas under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.

Article 6 of the Habitats Directive requires that the impact of projects or plans, such as aquaculture enterprises, be appropriately assessed in relation to the feature (habitat, species) for which the site was designated, so that the likelihood of significant effects on the feature can be objectively estimated. Only when the likelihood of significance has been discounted can these activities be licenced in Natura 2000 sites. This project will investigate the interactions between proposed aquaculture activities and Natura features (habitats and species) in two SACs and make licencing recommendations and advisory services in relation to subsequent management of aquaculture activities in the sites. The SACs of interest are Mulroy Bay SAC (002159) and Slyne Head Peninsula SAC (002074).

dkelly Wed, 06/27/2018 - 06:42

Duration:

The project had a 1 year duration and project work was carried out in 2016.

Project Outputs:

Two Appropriate Assessment reports to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to support aquaculture licencing decisions in relation to Natura sites.

Expected Benefit:

1. Improved advisory services in relation to site specific interactions between bird use and aquaculture practices
2. Support to aquaculture licencing decisions in relation to Natura sites

Further Information:

Contact Francis O’Beirn at Francis.XOBeirn@Marine.ie

Project Cost - Actual

€15,000

Project Tags:

Project Status: