Work Package 5

Testing and validating these tools in order to include them in a methodology for Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and effective site selection.

Summary

This Work package will be the testing ground for the “toolpack” of indicators and predictive models developed in Work packages 2, 3 and 4 that capture process understanding for the purposes of site selection and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). Field activities will occur on sites representing the range of aquaculture species and European environments, with sites in the Adriatic, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean, Atlantic Coast of mainland Europe and the West coast of Scotland covering the species and culture types predominant in European aquaculture. Field investigations will take place in a short burst of activity appropriate to EIAs, The results of these studies will be reported on together allowing appropriate contrasts to inform WP4, which will take the performance of the tools and indicators under field conditions into account.  The results of the sampling activity itself will be synthesised to provide improved advice on carrying out the field aspects of EIA relating to aquaculture developments.

Work Package Aims and Objectives in Full

Prediction is the heart of Environmental impact assessment (EIA) since it allows decision making based on knowledge of the consequences for the environment and society. The object of prediction is to identify the magnitude and other dimensions of identified change in the environment with a project or action, in comparison with the situation without that project or action (Glasson et al 1999). Prediction involves the identification of potential change in indicators of environment receptors that may be affected by a project.

Prediction should identify;direct and indirect impacts (e.g simple cause-effect diagrams),the geographical extent of impacts (e.g. local, regional, national), whether the impacts are beneficial or adverse, and their duration, impacts during the life of a project (e.g. construction, operational and other stages), "rate of change" of impacts (slow build-up vs rapid changes, the reversibility or otherwise of impacts, and the cumulative and synergistic impacts, However, in most EIAs the prediction step is rather weak, often vague and rarely based on sound data. A useful prediction can be obtained only by using realistic models, which are based on clearly stated and verified assumptions.  The issue of aquaculture-environment interactions can be used for the development of such models since there is a sufficient knowledge base of the nature of the most significant ecological impacts and a substantial scientific and monitoring effort that has produced considerable amounts of data.

We propose (in WP4) to develop a “toolpack” of indicators and predictive models that capture process understanding for the purposes of site selection and EIA. Presently EIA is a requirement for most mariculture developments within the EU as a consequence of the Directive, but there is a wide range of diversity in content and quality in the Environmental Statements that proceed from these.  Part of the problem is that there are no agreed methods for assessing the most important features of a site with respect to either commercial potential or environmental interactions.  Thus, many Environmental Statements are unwieldy through unnecessary attention to unimportant aspects.  Objective tools and methodologies for EIA are required, such that the most critical features of a development can be focussed on to allow more detailed appraisal.

We will concentrate our activities on sites representing the range of aquaculture species and European environments. Thus we propose sites (~10) in the Adriatic, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Mediterranean, Atlantic Coast of mainland Europe and the West coast of Scotland covering the species and culture types predominant in European aquaculture including shellfish extensive bottom cultures and high density mussel culture rafts.  Sites will be chosen to allow maximum testing of the tools and indicators that are highlighted in WP4.  Field investigations will take place in a short burst of activity appropriate to EIAs, in contrast to process studies where long-time series are the norm.  Most of the partners will participate in a sub-set of field studies according to geographical location and expertise. Some partners will participate across all sites to ensure consistency of approach and philosophy between sites.  The results of these studies will be reported on together allowing appropriate contrasts to inform WP4, which will take the performance of the tools and indicators under field conditions into account.  The results of the sampling activity itself will be synthesised to provide improved advice on carrying out the field aspects of EIA relating to aquaculture developments.