Operational Consents.

All finfish aquaculture sites require a point source discharge authorisation issued under The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (as amended), referred to as a CAR licence.

Operators are required to make an application for a CAR licence and the successful conclusion of the application determination leads to the issue of a CAR licence by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The licence sets out conditions to control all aspects of effluent discharges from the farm and limit potential environmental damage. Specifically it controls maximum onsite biomass of fish and the range and quantity of chemicals released to the environment from site operations as well as a range of other operational matters. This includes chemotherapeutant treatments for sea lice infestations, but pathogens (including sea lice) are not considered to be discharged and are not controlled via the CAR licence.
In regulating the fish farming industry SEPA endeavours to base its licensing regime on sound scientific principals using the best available knowledge and techniques to control and monitor the impacts of the industry. Hydrographic modelling techniques are employed to predict the quantities of chemicals and biomass of fish that can be used onsite without resulting in exceedence of a range of Environmental Quality Standards (EQS). These modelling results are used to set conditions of the CAR licence, which includes a requirement for operators to monitor environmental conditions onsite to ensure both compliance with EQS and as a check on modelled outputs. In instances where monitoring suggests failure of EQS consistent with either noncompliance or inappropriate consent conditions, SEPA may alter consent conditions to reduce consented fish biomass or chemical quantities or in serious cases withdraw consent. Such sanctions can be undertaken in discussion and with the cooperation of the farm operator or if required on SEPA’s own initiative.

A two-tier approach is taken to ensuring protection of the marine environment from discharges at finfish farms. The concept of an “Allowable Zone of Effects” is applied for solid wastes, where within a given area around a farm (calculated by hydrographic modelling) higher EQS are applied. Thus, far-field effects on the wider environment are limited by ensuring EQS compliance, but under and close to the cages higher environmental concentrations of certain contaminants and a greater level of effect on benthic infaunal communities from organic matter deposition are permitted and accepted. Similarly for soluble wastes the concept

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fishfarms of an initial mixing zone is applied and EQS compliance is ensured at a specific time after initial dilution (e.g., 6 hours). This approach accepts that risk of effects from discharges may be higher (within limits) locally either immediately after discharge or within the vicinity of fish cages, but ensures EQS compliance within the wider marine environment. This approach is similar to that taken for more conventional discharges from outfall pipes where EQS compliance is required outwith a zone where initial mixing occurs.
All aquaculture sites also require a Marine Licence under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, administered by marine Scotland’s Licensing Operations Team. This is required in all instances for assessment of navigational safety associated with aquaculture sites and where aquaculture chemotherapeutants for treating fish for sea lice infestations are discharged from wellboats.
This is an emerging husbandry practice in Scotland and is regulated under Marine Licence using the same principles and conditions as under CAR above.