Appropriate Assessments Case Study 5_Shellfish cultivation in Shetland

Summary

An application was made to the Shetland Islands Council on 18 April 2005 to develop a new mariculture site for mussels, queen scallops and oysters. The site was located at the southern end of Uni Firth, adjacent to the mouth of The Vadills. Proposed equipment for this site were four double long-lines of 100m in length, with a surface works area of 8000m2 oriented east-west within a mooring area of 10,400m2. The application included no reference to any need to deter predation by eider ducks. The Vadills Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is made up of eight shallow basins, up to 5m deep. It was designated as an SAC by the Scottish Executive in March 2005 because of this ‘lagoon’ habitat. Listed under Annex 1 of the EC Habitats Directive and specified as a priority habitat in the UK, lagoons are expanses of shallow coastal saltwater, of varying salinity and water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sandbanks, shingle or rocks. This priority status is granted to those habitats that are in danger of disappearing and there are both Priority Species and Priority Habitat Action Plans in place in the Vadills, taking account of their inherent and unique character and vulnerability.

Publication date

01 January 2007