Question reference: S6W-09825
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 19 July 2022
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 July 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice was provided to Marine Scotland by (a) NatureScot and (b) Marine Scotland Science regarding the Seagreen Wind Energy Limited reports in respect of unexploded ordnance clearance activities.
Answer
Marine Scotland – Licensing Operations Team requested advice from Marine Scotland Science ("MSS") and NatureScot on the reports provided by Seagreen Wind Energy Limited. MSS and NatureScot advised on the specifics of the noise monitoring carried out in respect of each clearance event with reference to National Physical Laboratory guidance; the mitigation implemented to reduce impacts to marine mammals and lessons learned that could be applied to future campaigns. Due to the small number of unexploded ordnance to be cleared, NatureScot advised that overall impacts from the clearance activity in terms of exposure to noise and behavioural disturbance were lower than predicted and well within the scope of the assessment submitted in support of the licence applications.