The NWWAC has highlighted concerns over the South Coast Renewable Energy DMAP Proposal published last August
The North Western Waters Advisory Council has written to the International and Offshore Energy Division of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications expressing concerns over the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) Proposal.
The NWWAC has been involved in the public consultation since the publication of the South Coast Renewable Energy DMAP Proposal in August by attending both the online event on 12 September and the workshop in Youghal on 19 September. Information from both events was also shared with the Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC).
In their letter to the Department, the NWWAC write:
“We want to emphasise our concerns regarding any developments in the proposed area due to its importance as spawning and nursery grounds for a large number of commercially important species, including cod, whiting, haddock and herring. Impacts from surveys and construction can pose significant threats to these species some of which are already under pressure. The latest ICES advice for cod in divisions 7.e-k is for zero catch in 2024, as has been for several previous years, and recruitment diminished the past number of years . Similarly, advice for whiting in ICES divisions 7.b-c and 7.ek that recruitment is continually decreasing and stock biomass is low . Both of these stocks have been in difficulty in the Irish Sea as well, and any impacts on these spawning and nursery grounds in the proposed DMAP area may additionally negatively affect Irish Sea stocks as well. While these difficulties have been and are continuously being addressed through fisheries management in the Celtic Sea and Irish Sea, for example via avoidance and technical measures, the stocks show no sign of recovery and any additional negative impacts that could further exacerbate these difficulties should be avoided at all costs.
In addition, both Advisory Councils have addressed the potential impacts from offshore wind energy developments in the past years and we wish to highlight recommendation made to the European Commission which are relevant to this proposal, and specifically the NWWAC/PELAC/NSAC advice for a non-recurrent request to ICES on impacts of wind energy developments which highlights for example the knowledge gaps in relation to cumulative effects. Questions raised in this submission are directly relevant to the proposed developments in the DMAP area and should be considered when undertaking relevant surveys, modelling, environmental impact assessments as well as appropriate assessments.
Following their joint workshop in May 2022, the NWWAC and PelAC submitted their Joint advice on the impacts of underwater noise and offshore wind energy developments on commercial fisheries. Again, recommendations made in this submission are directly relevant to the proposed development. Also included in this recommendation are the ACs’ comments on the Recommendations in the European Commission’s “Overview of the effects of offshore wind farms on fisheries and aquaculture (EASME/EMFF/2018/011 Lot 1: Specific Contract No. 03)” and the Recommendations from the European Marine Board’s “Addressing underwater noise in Europe, Future Science Brief No 7 October 2021”. Both of these documents contain valuable information, and the ACs’ additional comments made in their joint submission should be taken into account as part of this public consultation process.”
