Abstract
Large-scale offshore renewable energy infrastructure construction in Scottish waters is anticipated in coming decades. An approach being pursued, with a view to preventing short-range marine mammal injury, is the introduction of additional noise sources to intentionally disturb and displace animals from renewable sites over the construction period. To date, no full and transparent consideration has been given to the long-term cost benefits of noise reduction compared with noise-inducing mitigation techniques. It has yet to be determined if the introduction of additional noise is consistent with the objectives of the EU Habitats Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Keywords
- Marine mammals
- Pile driving
- Noise
- Habitats Directive
- Marine Strategy Framework Directive
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Many thanks to Fiona Read for comments on a draft version of this manuscript.
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Dolman, S.J., Green, M., Gregerson, S., Weir, C.R. (2016). Fulfilling EU Laws to Ensure Marine Mammal Protection During Marine Renewable Construction Operations in Scotland. In: Popper, A., Hawkins, A. (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 875. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_26
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_26
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