Strategic Environmental Assessment

• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
  The project aims to develop the concept and application of an SEA within U.K marine fisheries. Given the novel and pioneering nature of the proposal, both on a U.K and European wide context, the following definition of an SEA for a fishery, is provided as a starting point:- A Strategic Environmental Assessment for a fishery is a method of examining and mitigating the effects, both current and future, on the marine environment of a fisheries management plan or programme. Such effects might include depletion of fish or shellfish stocks, seabed damage and impacts on other species, for example, seabirds, dolphins or porpoises. The assessment process derives recommendations, designed to reduce the impacts of the environmental effects. The type of fisheries management plan or programme which might be subject to an SEA could include, for example, local or national shellfish regulations or more complex national or European plans such as the future introduction of the Marine Bill or the new European Fisheries Fund. As the project is currently ongoing, the documents presently available are for information only as they are `work in progress` and, as such, are in draft format.
• SEA Generic Report - August 2008
  The Generic Fisheries SEA Framework aims to provide guidance for application of SEA to UK fisheries and can be adapted to meet the specific circumstances of each fishery or group of fisheries, including local factors, and other relevant influences. The draft Fisheries SEA Framework was used to pilot the SEA process on the NESFC shellfish fisheries management regime. Lessons learnt during the assessment have informed the development of this final framework. The Framework has been developed primarily to meet the requirements of the EU SEA Directive (2001/42/EC) and to include stages A to E of the SEA process as outlined in the practical guidance on the implementing the directive produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
• Overarching Final SEA Project Report
  The overarching report provides a review of the SEA fisheries project. The document is available here for viewing.
• Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
  Further reference documents to add to the previous Strategic Environmental Assessment news item.
• Strategic Environmental Assessment (Scoping Report)
  Scoping report for the Strategic Environmental Assessment attached.