scottish-highly-protected-marine-areas-consultation-questions March 2023.._
Argyll and Bute Council · 22 March 2023
Back to Planning, Protective Services and Licensing Committee — 22 March 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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3. Consultation Questions 3.1. Why your views matter The Scottish Government is committed to realising our vision of the marine environment being clean, healthy, safe, productive, diverse and managed to meet the long term needs of nature and people. Your responses will help to shape and inform how we do this. Respondents should take into consideration the information provided in this document alongside any other knowledge or personal experiences that could be relevant. All opinions are welcome. You are invited to answer all the questions. However, if you are unable to answer any question then please feel free to skip and move on to the next. The questions are asked in relation to specific documents: (i) Policy Framework: (ii) Site Selection Guidelines; (iii) Initial Sustainability Appraisal; (iv) Partial Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) Screening Report; and (v) Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA). We recommend reading the full suite of documents before starting to submit your responses. Appendix A
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3.2. Policy Framework 1. What is your view of the aims and purpose of Highly Protected Marine Areas as set out in sections 2 and 3 of the draft Policy Framework? Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose Please explain your answer in the text box: 2. What is your view of the effectiveness of the proposed approaches to manage the activities listed below, as set out in section 6 of the draft Policy Framework, in order to achieve the aims and purpose of HPMAs? Activity Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose 1 Commercial fishing (of any kind) 2 Recreational fishing (of any kind) 3 All other recreational activities 4 Finfish aquaculture 5 Shellfish aquaculture 6 Seaweed harvesting 7 Oil and gas sector 8 Renewable energy 9 Carbon capture, utilisation and storage
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Activity Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose 10 Subsea cables 11 Aggregate extraction 12 Ports and harbours 13 Shipping and ferries 14 Military and defence 15 Hydrogen production 16 Space Ports Please explain your answer in the text box and if you think we have missed any activities, please suggest them here: 3. What is your view of the proposed additional powers set out in section 8.3.2 of the draft Policy Framework: “Allow for activities to be prohibited from the point of designation to afford high levels of protection.” Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose
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Please explain your answer in the text box: 4. What is your view of the proposed additional powers set out in section 8.3.3 of the draft Policy Framework: “Establish processes to permit certain limited activities within a HPMA on a case-by-case basis for specified reasons.” Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose Please explain your answer in the text box: 5. What is your view of the proposed additional powers set out in section 8.3.4 of the draft Policy Framework: “Activities which are not permitted in a HPMA but are justified in specified cases of emergency or force majeure.” Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose Please explain your answer in the text box:
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6. What is your view of the proposed additional powers set out in section 8.3.5 of the draft Policy Framework: “Measures for activities allowed and carefully managed in HPMAs.” Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose Please explain your answer in the text box: 7. Do you have any further comments on the draft Policy Framework, which have not been covered by your answers to the previous questions? Please add your response in the text box:
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3.3. Site Selection Guidelines 8. What is your view of the proposal that HPMA site identification should be based upon the “functions and resources of significance to Scotland’s seas,” as listed below and set out in Annex B of the draft Site Selection Guidelines? Function and Resources Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose 1 Blue Carbon 2 Essential Fish Habitats 3 Strengthening the Scottish MPA network 4 Protection from storms and sea level rise 5 Research and education 6 Enjoyment and appreciation 7 Other important ecosystem services Please explain your answer in the text box, including any suggested changes to the list:
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9. What is your view of the general principles that are intended to inform the approach to HPMA selection, as listed below and set out in section 4.1 of the draft Site Selection Guidelines? General principle Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose 1 Use of a robust evidence base 2 HPMA scale and the use of functional ecosystem units 3 Ensuring added value 4 Delivering ecosystem recovery Please explain your answer in the text box, including any suggested changes to the list: 10. What is your view of the proposed five-stage site selection process, found in sections 4.2 and 4.3 as well as figure 2 and Annex A of the draft Site Selection Guidelines? Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose
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Please explain your answer in the text box: 11. Do you have any further comments on the draft Site Selection Guidelines, which have not been covered by your answers to the previous questions? 3.4. Initial Sustainability Appraisal 12. What is your view of the Strategic Environmental Report, summarised within sections 3 and 4 of the Sustainability Appraisal, as an accurate representation of the potential impacts, issues and considerations raised by the introduction of the draft Policy Framework and Site Selection Guidelines? Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose
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Please explain your answer in the text box: 13. What is your view of the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment, summarised within sections 3 and 4 of the Sustainability Appraisal, as an accurate representation of the potential impacts, issues and considerations raised by the introduction of the draft Policy Framework and Site Selection Guidelines? Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose Please explain your answer in the text box: 3.5. Partial Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) Screening Report 14. What is your view of the partial ICIA screening report as an accurate representation of potential impacts, raised by the implementation of the draft Policy Framework and Site Selection Guidelines? Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose
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Please explain your answer in the text box: 15. Do you think that the implementation of the draft Policy Framework and Site Selection Guidelines will have any significantly differential impacts – positive and/or negative - on island communities? Yes No Not sure Please explain your answer in the text box, including any additional impacts that have not been identified in the partial ICIA screening report: 3.6. Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) 16. What is your view of the partial BRIA as an accurate representation of the potential impacts, issues and considerations raised by the implementation of the draft Policy Framework and Site Selection Guidelines? Strongly support Support Neutral Oppose Strongly oppose
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Please explain your answer in the text box: 17. Do you think that the implementation of the draft Policy Framework and Site Selection Guidelines will have any financial, regulatory or resource impacts – positive and/or negative - for you and/or your business? Yes No Not sure 18. If you answered “yes” to the previous question, please specify which of the proposals/actions you refer to and why you believe this would result in financial, regulatory or resource impacts for your business.
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3.7. Our Commitment 19. Do you have any further thoughts on the Scottish Government’s commitment to introduce HPMAs to at least 10% of Scottish waters?