Fish and Fisheries Specialist Receptor Group (FFSRG) Dr. Andronikos - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) Fish and Fisheries Specialist Receptor Group (FFSRG) Dr. Andronikos Kafas – ScotMER FFSRG Chair a_kafas North Sea Advisory Council Ecosystem Working Group 19 March 2019

Aims of today’s presentation ✓ Provide an introduction to the SpORRAn Framework ✓ Introduce you to ScotMER Fish and Fisheries Specialist Receptor Group and its Evidence Plan ✓ Outline Marine Scotland’s current Offshore Renewables Science Programme ✓ Discuss any upcoming funding opportunities SpORRAN = research gap identification exercise ScotMER = research programme to facilitate offshore renewables development and future lease bidding for Scotland

Ocean multi-use Schultz-Zehden, A. et al. (2018). Ocean Multi-Use Action Plan, MUSES project. Edinburgh. – More info https://muses-project.eu/

Offshore wind growth targets in the North Sea 2045 – 230 GW 2030 – 70 GW Kafas, A. et al. (2017) Status quo report on offshore energy planning provisions in the North Sea Region, 2020 – 21.7 GW NorthSEE project. – More info http://northsee.eu 2016 – 9.1 GW

Scottish Offshore Renewables Research Framework (SpORRAn) What is the Aim / Vision of the Framework? S cottish O ffshore R enewables R esearch Fr A mework ( SpORRAn ) To provide a mechanism for collaborative and co-ordinated research to facilitate the sustainable development of the Offshore Renewable sector in Scotland and to use this research to better inform future plans and projects.

Coordination group & SpORRAn Structure 7 Specialist Research Groups Benthic Group Marine Fish and Mammal Fisheries Group Group Coordination Group Diadromous Ornithology Fish Group Group Social & Physical Economic Processes Group Group

SpORRAn Fish and Fisheries Specialist Receptor Group (FFSRG) SRG Tasks FFSRG activities Identify and prioritise the evidence needs Evidence map Highlight synergies with priorities in different areas Prioritisation of knowledge gaps “Upcoming funding opportunities” Maintain awareness of research and funding landscape standing agenda item Encourage collaborative bids for funding MS happy to get involved Interact with other relevant groups FLOWW, MFOWDG, FTOWDG Highlight where knowledge from research and post-consent monitoring updates our current MS-LOT & industry presence understanding Promote activity of the group Set up next meeting in advance

SpORRAn FFSRG Evidence Map - Purpose What is it? A way to set out current and future evidence needs and how these align to policy outcomes. Good principles ▪ Need to be fit for purpose ▪ Easy to interpret – self explanatory. ▪ Quick to fill in. ▪ Standardised template across groups. ▪ Easy to update – Keep as live documents. ▪ Capture the right information ▪ Prioritisation template in use

SpORRAn FFSRG Evidence Map - Structure EVIDENCE MAP Fishery Types of criteria Potential activity/ Knowledge Gaps ✓ Additive Interacting Technology Prioritisation ✓ Multiplicative Relevance Project Component Criteria by ✓ Urgency Phase ✓ Wider applications ✓ Relevance to other Natural/ social sciences Project(s) ✓ Socio-economic factor ✓ Impact Cumulative impacts

SpORRAn FFSRG Evidence Map - Proposed criteria Criterion Levels A. Urgency 0-No, Was a gap currently or very likely near future constraint on 1-Likely, assessments of offshore wind/marine renewables? 2-Yes B. Wider Application 0-No, Degree to which there are potential applications of research findings 1-Yes beyond offshore wind. Were more than one sector (wind, wave, tidal) affected? C. Relevance to other Project(s) 0-No, Were more than one renewable project affected by the knowledge gap? 1-Yes D. Socio-economic factor TBC Composite factor of the number of vessels and people directly linked in the interacting fishery. E. Impact 1-small, Likely impact of reduction in knowledge gap i.e. if gap was filled, what 2-moderate, difference might it make? 3-large

SpORRAn FFSRG Evidence Map - Template

SpORRAn FFSRG – Draft Evidence Map Knowledge gaps & Potential activities: Fisheries ➢ Accurate mapping of fishing effort and catches in space & time ✓ Up-to-date baseline distribution of <12m commercial fishing vessels ✓ Seasonal variability of commercial fisheries ✓ Plotter system conversion tool ✓ Radar systems in offshore wind farms and monitoring of fishing vessels ➢ Accurate and validated method to predict fisheries displacement levels and locations ✓ Fisheries displacement modelling ➢ Fisheries stakeholder integration and participation process ✓ Integration of fisheries in marine planning & licensing ✓ Consultation process during licensing ➢ Strategic fisheries management ✓ Offshore renewable energy development areas to play a role as fisheries management

SpORRAn FFSRG – Draft Evidence Map Knowledge gaps & Potential activities: Fish Ecology 1/2 ➢ Underwater noise & vibrations ✓ Species audiograms - variation between individuals and age-groups (incl. criteria for particle motion) ✓ Refine sound exposure criteria for different life stages ✓ Ground-truth existing sound pressure models predictions by monitoring licensed activities ➢ Accurate spatio-temporal patterns of spawning activity by marine fish species ✓ Review of available information and additional offshore surveys; species distribution modelling ✓ Mapping of essential fish habitat ✓ Inshore populations / distribution

SpORRAn FFSRG – Draft Evidence Map Knowledge gaps & Potential activities: Fish Ecology 2/2 ➢ Collision risk ✓ Collision risk model for tidal turbines and fish ✓ In situ near-field monitoring to study reef/fish aggregation effects ➢ Electromagnetic Fields ✓ Gather empirical evidence of the sensitivities of a wider range of species to iE and B fields and their behavioural responses. ➢ Cumulative pressures & Impact pathways on individual species level ✓ Species pressure risk matrix based on species literature

SpORRAn FFSRG Funding Mechanisms

ScotMER FFSRG Internship Programme 2019 Overview MSS will invite postgraduate students (at Masters and PhD levels) in UK academic institutions to apply for a paid internship, duration between 3-6 months, to undertake a research project addressing knowledge gaps in the fields of offshore renewable energy, fish ecology and commercial fisheries, as identified by the ScotMER FFSRG Evidence Map. ➢ Objectives ✓ Initiate research projects directly addressing FFSRG EM knowledge gaps, ✓ Generate scientific evi dence that inform offshore renewable energy policy and decision making, ✓ Initiate or expand collaborations between Marine Scotland and academic organisations, and ✓ Enhance Marine Scotland’s capacity to engage in future funding calls as they become available.

ScotMER FFSRG Studentship Programme 2019 Scope of work ➢ Expected outputs ✓ A literature review of scientific and grey literature on the proposed topic, AND ✓ Either a report summarising findings from a pilot project or draft funding proposal seeking additional resource for future research, based on findings from the current, AND ✓ An oral presentation of the project findings at the ScotMER Symposium on Fish and Fisheries preliminary scheduled for October 2019.

ScotMER FFSRG Studentship Programme 2019 Selection criteria & Panel ➢ Selection criteria ✓ Proposed research – scientific merit and deliverability ✓ Impact – impact on FFSRG knowledge gaps and marine policy ✓ Sustainability – project extendable beyond current funding timescales Quality – application and applicant’s profile ✓ ➢ Scientific Evaluation and Monitoring Panel ✓ Aim: To objectively evaluate research proposals ✓ Single-stage application process (application form, CV, and cover letter) ✓ Panel comprises mostly MS representatives; Membership on a voluntary basis ✓ Invitation to fishing industry advisors to join the panel

Dr. Andronikos Kafas Dr. Janelle Braithwaite Renewable Energy Environmental Advice Senior Policy Officer Group Leader & International Liaison Offshore Wind & Marine Renewables Planning (ScotMER FFSRG Chair) Marine Scotland – Planning & Policy Division Victoria Quay – Area 1A South, Edinburgh Renewable Energy Environmental Advice Group Marine Scotland Science e: Janelle.Braithwaite@gov.scot Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, e: Andronikos.Kafas@gov.scot a_kafas Website : www.gov.scot/marinescotland & https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/marine/marineenergy/mre/research News : Marine Scotland Blog – Renewable Energy Data : google search Marine Scotland Information Offshore Renewable Energy Planning Webpage : http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marineenergy/Planning Thank you!