Greening Blue Energy - BioTools For Business

Marine impacts
Figure 4: A summary of stages within an SEA (taken from EC Directive 2001/42/EC)
4.5 Interactions with other marine
users
The impacts of offshore wind farms should not be
considered in isolation of other concerned users of
a marine environment. Through an effective consultation
as part of an impact assessment process,
potential threats can be identified, and opportunities
could be better optimised managed. The below
indicates examples of threats and opportunities
presented by offshore wind farms. Sectors to consider
include (but are not limited to):
• Fisheries
• Aquaculture (see box 2)
• Shipping
• Leisure and tourism
• Other offshore renewable energy sectors (see
box 3)
These are reflected throughout section 4.2.
Box 2: Aquaculture
26 GREENING BLUE ENERGY - Identifying and managing biodiversity risks and opportunities of offshore renewable energy
Aquaculture of fish, mussels and algae is likely to increase considerably in to next few decades.
Cultivation of mussels has been tested for production of animal protein and fertilisers,
and for recycling of nutrients in eutrophicated water bodies. Wind farm developments may
offer unique opportunities to exploit areas further offshore. Solid wind turbine foundations
could provide anchoring aquaculture installations in areas that are otherwise not suitable for
conventional techniques. It has, also, been shown that blue mussels from open ocean sites
may have significantly less parasite infestations than at inshore sites, which in theory could
enhance survival and growth.
Aquaculture installations offshore may also benefit from lower levels of pollution from urban
and agricultural runoff. Blue mussels growing on the turbines themselves, provide beneficial
conditions for settlement and growth of filter feeding organisms (see Annex 1, Section 3.1.)
and could also be harvested if cost-effective techniques are developed. Mussels from oil platforms
have been harvested for human consumption in Southern California Bight. Provided
that this reduces the density of aquaculture ventures nearshore, and that related environmental
problems are not simply transferred to sensitive pristine habitats offshore, this option
could offer environmental mitigation for the aquaculture sector.