Fish farm monitoring in Scotland

Scotland Norway MOU Committee

29 March 2011

Edinburgh

Douglas Sinclair, SpecialistScottish Environment Protection Agency

Contents

Why

How

Where

When

Why do we monitor fish farms Credible regulatory regimes must be

supported by monitoring or inspection There is an expectation that polluters are

“checked” Beyond the philosophical need for monitoring Legislation, EU, UK and Scots imposes

requirements. EU – WFD – broad monitoring principles Developed by Water Environment Water

Services (Scotland) Act 2003 and other legislation – Environment Act 1995

Implemented in programmes developed by SEPA under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) Scotland Regs 2005

known as CAR.

Why do we monitor fish farms

Monitoring programmes are “risk based” Fish farm discharges are relatively “high risk”

Population equivalent Containing pesticides Close to other users interests Often close to Natural Heritage Potential for cumulative effects

Benthic monitoring at fish farms is therefore justified

Zostera marina (Kircubbin Bay)

Zostera marina (subtidal) perennial

Zostera marina (subtidal) perennial

How do we monitor fish farms

SEPA has evolved a well defined and developed monitoring approach

Originated from work done in the early 1990s in Shetland which was based on: Annual surveys Single photographic transect

Monitoring approach is variable sometimes photographs or video are still used

But in most cases monitoring is now based upon benthic sediment studies

How do we monitor fish farms

Benthic Usually minimum

requirement for any site 3 types of survey Assessed for biological

Animal species Abundance Community structure

and physio-chemical impacts

Metals Carbon Sea lice meds residues

Visual Alternative if substrate

unsuitable ie rocky See key species and

habitats Abundance frequency Substrate type Can be video or stills May be required for CAR

applications Suitable for planning, EIA

etc.

Sometimes both are required

How do we monitor fish farms

Parameters are assessed against published standards Farms are classified as:

SATISFACTORY – pass the standards

• BORDERLINE – failure of one or two standards or a number of standards are close to the fail threshold. This is technically still a “satisfactory” outcome but highlights stress on the sea bed

• UNSATISFACTORY – failure of quality standards

• So that is how we monitor the benthos, where do we undertake this monitoring

Where do we monitor fish farms

Where to judge impacts has also evolved over the years

SEPA used to assess effects of farms based on a fixed impact zone - AZE.

System now more sophisticated, based on model outputs

Giving a site specific impact footprint25 metre

fixed

AZE

Where do we monitor fish farms

Monitoring undertaken on pre-determined transect

Stations close to farm plus reference

Grey shading = limit of AZE

Where do we monitor fish farms

In addition to monitoring at fish farm sites, monitoring is undertaken in waterbodies for WFD purposes

Check overall waterbody status Examines wider range of parameters

Nutrients in water column Macroalgae Plankton

Where do we monitor fish farms

CSTT Zones

Zone A Near field

Zone B Far field

Where do we monitor fish farms

In addition to monitoring at fish farm sites, monitoring is undertaken in waterbodies for WFD purposes

Check overall waterbody status Examines wider range of parameters

Nutrients in water column Macroalgae Plankton

When does this monitoring occur

When do we monitor fish farms

Two strategies, one for routine benthic surveys, one for sea lice medicine residues

Benthic impacts monitoring used to be annual SEPA relaxed requirements to:

once per growth cycle in the summer of 2nd year of production at the time of peak biomass

BIOMASS

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When do we monitor fish farms

Sea lice medicine residues, monitored at time of peak sediment concentration

So, for example for Slice: Peak concentration in sediment is at 118

days post treatment Monitoring used to be required 110-130

days post treatment Now relaxed to 80 -169 days post

treatment

Site Residual Curves

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220

Time (Days From Start of Treatment)

Em

BZ

Mas

s

ExcretionAccumulation - DecayAccumulation + DecaySRC quiescentSRC active

peak mass95% mass

90 day

sampling window

Summary

SEPA has a highly developed monitoring strategy

Seeks to maintain compliance with national and EU requirements

Assesses impacts against accepted standards Contributes to the protection of Scotland’s

water environment Allows the on-going sustainable development

of the industry.

Questions??