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Marine Spatial Planning in the Shetland Islands – Identifying Sites for Renewable Energy

Marine Spatial Planning in the Shetland Islands – Identifying Sites for Renewable Energy.

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Marine Spatial Planning in the Shetland Islands – Identifying Sites for Renewable Energy

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  1. Marine Spatial Planning in the Shetland Islands – Identifying Sites for Renewable Energy Local Steering Group: Shetland Islands Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Shetland Aquaculture, Seafood Shetland, Shetland Fishermen's Association, Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation, Royal Society of the Protection of Birds, BP, Shetland Amenity Trust, the Association of Shetland Community Councils, and the Fair Isle Marine Environment and Tourism Initiative.

  2. Pilot started January 2006 (initially for 3 years) • Covers seas around Shetland out to 12nm – a major area for aquaculture, oil infrastructure, fishing and biodiversity • 2731 km of coastline • 10,580 km² of sea • Aims • To produce & implement a Marine Spatial Plan via community participation • To provide enhanced decision support to public bodies and others on the distribution and use of marine resources • Improve the current planning regime

  3. The Marine (Scotland) Act • Lays the foundations for a more simplified marine planning and licensing system • Includes measures to help boost economic investment and growth • Marine Scotland (the Scottish Government) will draft a national marine plan by 2012 • The local level will be delivered through Scottish Marine Regions (SMRs) from 2012 • Shetland Marine Spatial Plan would become statutory ordinance??

  4. Who uses the SMSP? • Developers: approx. 100% use data & policy guidance; • Planners: 50% use of policy, patchy use of data; • Authorities (SEPA, SNH, HS): 100% use of policy, data to target monitoring; • Fisheries managers: closed areas / MSC accreditation. Part Two: Marine Atlas Part One: Policy Framework

  5. How are maps used in the planning regime? • Distribution of activities • Statutory constraints • Advisory constraints

  6. Activities:  Dredging & disposal Commercial fishing Aquaculture Recreation & tourism Access  Coastal archaeology

  7. Statutory Constraints: Main shipping routes Protected ship wrecks Pipelines & cables Wastewater discharges Sectoral policy areas Fin fish farming Locational Guidelines Designated nature conservation areas

  8. Advisory constraints: Otters & seals Whales & dolphins Seabirds Sea ducks Water habitats Kelp Forest ‘At Risk’ waterbodies Seabed habitats Ship wrecks Shore species & habitats

  9. Potential planning objections / conflict Weighted against each other according to subjective judgements (interactions and sensitivity matrices)

  10. How prescriptive should policy be? • Weighting constraints should be used with caution: • Restricted opportunity • Risk of giving a false-positive • Not possible to replicate in other areas of Scotland (different value systems)

  11. The Physical Suitability Mapping wave exposure and tidal stream (device) – funded by Shetland Islands Council and HIE (April 2011) Sediment type and depth (mooring and cables) – funded by Marine Scotland (expected Dec 2011)

  12. Wave and Tidal Resource Study: • 5 “hotspots” for wave power and tidal velocity found • Fills a specific gap in the Marine Atlas

  13. What are the benefits of MSP? • Facilitates reduced spatial and temporal conflict • Provides the connection between various authorities and environmental management • Provides a connection between people and resource use • Facilitates conservation of sensitive areas • Provides some investment certainty for developers • Environmental appraisal done through formal SEA-process

  14. Thanks for your attention!Any Questions? lorraine.gray@nafc.uhi.ac.uk www.nafc.uhi.ac.uk/ssmei.aspx

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