Pilot assessment of cumulative impacts of offshore renewables on birds: Inception report

Gerjan Piet, Ruud Jongbloed, Martin Poot, Ibon Galparsoro, Ángel Borja, Isabel Garcia Barón, Maite Louzao Arsuaga, Debbi Pedreschi, Christina O’Donnell

Research output: Book/ReportReportProfessional

Abstract

The aim of this contract is to provide technical assistance to OSPAR in further developing an approach and tool(s) for cumulative impact assessment, including carrying out different pilot assessment on birds in the OSPAR maritime area as proof of concept. To that end a Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) framework, i.e. SCAIRM (Spatial Cumulative Assessment of Impact Risk for Management) was adopted and further developed such that it can evaluate scenarios of offshore wind and other activities on birds and can be expanded to include other ecosystem components as well. In this study the CIA is applied in three pilots covering the North Sea, Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay that are intended as proof of concept. The pilots differ in terms of information available and hence their level of development and operational readiness. The North Sea pilot is most advanced covering the entire Greater North Sea according to the MSFD and all relevant activities and their pressures are included. Depending on information availability multi-sector scenarios covering more activities than offshore wind, will be evaluated. The Celtic Sea local pilot is also intended to be comprehensive in their coverage of activities and their pressures but is limited to a relatively small area in which licence locations related to potential offshore renewable energy were identified and hence scenarios can be evaluated. The Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay pilot covers a wider area determined by geographical boundaries according to the MSFD as well as OSPAR limits but is limited in that it only includes offshore wind and all its pressures. All pilots cover a wide range of bird species, most of which are common in all three pilots. State-of-the-art information will be applied in the CIA depending on availability and scenarios of at least offshore wind developments will be evaluated to the extent possible. Based on the findings in these pilots a way forward will be proposed in further improving the method in view of the aims of ICG-ORED and ICG-EcoC and how this can be applied to provide options for actions by OSPAR to minimize the impacts.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationIJmuiden
PublisherWageningen Marine Research
Number of pages32
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Publication series

NameWageningen Marine Research rapport
No.C026/24

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