The
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on the 26th June 2017,
announced proposals for the future regulation of fish farming in Scotland, and
is inviting comment on its plans for the sector
Members of the public have until 31 August 2017 to comment on proposals to revise the way SEPA licences control the amount of waste a fish farm can release, through a new approach called Depositional Zone Regulation (DZR).
The new proposals, which can be viewed, HERE, use new computer modelling to
better predict environmental impacts, increase the level of environmental
monitoring undertaken by SEPA, and make it more attractive for operators to
locate fish farms in less sensitive areas with stronger tidal flows by allowing
for progressive increases in stocking beyond a starting biomass.
Under these proposals, growth must only occur where the combination of appropriate siting, and new techniques and processes, mean the environment can sustain it. SEPA is also inviting views on the findings of an independent review of the Environmental Quality Standard for the in-feed sea louse medicine Emamectin Benzoate.
Terry A’Hearn, SEPA’s Chief Executive, said, “Aquaculture is an important and ambitious industry in Scotland, but can have an adverse impacts on the environment. Ensuring that this vital sector operates within the capacity of our world-class coastal environment is essential, and a key objective for SEPA. We want to strengthen and modernise our regulatory controls so that the risks to Scotland’s environment from existing fish farms and future new farms are minimised. In our Regulatory Strategy One Planet Prosperity we made it clear that compliance with legal obligations is not negotiable, and is the minimum we expect of all those we regulate in every sector. We believe the proposals laid out in this consultation will help fish farms to take positive steps towards reducing their environmental impact in a way that also delivers economic and social benefits. This is a sector that draws strong and often divergent views. We want to hear from as many people and interests as possible across Scotland to inform the finalisation of our proposals.”
SEPA expects to consult on its Sector Plan for finfish aquaculture in early 2018. This plan will set out how the Agency proposes to work with operators to ensure full regulatory compliance and help operators go beyond compliance to achieve environmental excellence.
Visit the SEPA website, HERE.
Members of the public have until 31 August 2017 to comment on proposals to revise the way SEPA licences control the amount of waste a fish farm can release, through a new approach called Depositional Zone Regulation (DZR).
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| Image credit: Christopher Jensen on Flickr |
Under these proposals, growth must only occur where the combination of appropriate siting, and new techniques and processes, mean the environment can sustain it. SEPA is also inviting views on the findings of an independent review of the Environmental Quality Standard for the in-feed sea louse medicine Emamectin Benzoate.
Terry A’Hearn, SEPA’s Chief Executive, said, “Aquaculture is an important and ambitious industry in Scotland, but can have an adverse impacts on the environment. Ensuring that this vital sector operates within the capacity of our world-class coastal environment is essential, and a key objective for SEPA. We want to strengthen and modernise our regulatory controls so that the risks to Scotland’s environment from existing fish farms and future new farms are minimised. In our Regulatory Strategy One Planet Prosperity we made it clear that compliance with legal obligations is not negotiable, and is the minimum we expect of all those we regulate in every sector. We believe the proposals laid out in this consultation will help fish farms to take positive steps towards reducing their environmental impact in a way that also delivers economic and social benefits. This is a sector that draws strong and often divergent views. We want to hear from as many people and interests as possible across Scotland to inform the finalisation of our proposals.”
SEPA expects to consult on its Sector Plan for finfish aquaculture in early 2018. This plan will set out how the Agency proposes to work with operators to ensure full regulatory compliance and help operators go beyond compliance to achieve environmental excellence.
Visit the SEPA website, HERE.
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