Commercial fisheries, shipping and navigation

We have conducted a range of assessments within our study area to see how our proposed wind farm site could impact commercial fisheries, shipping and navigation.

Below we've provided an overview of the results of these assessments. More detailed information about the assessments carried out and the subsequent results can be found in chapter 11 of our PEIR.

Commercial fisheries

During the operation and maintenance phase of the Mona Offshore Wind Project, our assessments found a range of potential effects to commercial fisheries with the majority found to be ‘minor adverse’ or lower and ‘not significant’.

The project will continue to engage with stakeholders in the region related to commercial fisheries and explore how the Mona Offshore Wind Project can minimise any potential impacts further.

Shipping and navigation

A shipping and navigation baseline was developed through a review of relevant publications, collection and analysis of historical vessel traffic and incident data, and consultation with key stakeholders. The Mona Offshore Wind Project is located in an area frequently utilised by a variety of different maritime users.

Some potential impacts on shipping and navigation, associated with the construction, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning phases of the Mona Offshore Wind Project, were identified.

The impacts assessed include: impacts to vessel routeing, impacts to port operations, impacts to navigational safety and impacts to emergency response. With the measures adopted as part of the Mona Offshore Wind Project (e.g. guard vessels) in place, the majority of these impacts result in effects which are deemed, in planning terms, 'not significant'.

Where more 'significant' risks are identified, we are committed to exploring additional risk controls through further studies and engagement with stakeholders to ensure they are appropriate and adequate for reducing risks to 'as low as reasonably practicable' (ALARP) prior to submission of the application. Appropriate risk controls will then be secured through project consents.