The focus of this project was to lay the groundwork for the development of potential compensatory measures for marine mammals (seals and cetaceans) as a consequence of unavoidable impacts resulting from offshore renewable energy development. This process is legally enshrined in both the Habitats Regulations and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010; discussions on implementation of measures are moderately advanced for seabirds but are only just beginning to be held around marine mammals.
Following a desk review, a workshop was held to identify and discuss potential compensatory options for marine mammals, with the aim of producing a list of ideas for developers and regulators to discuss in more detail in the future. Feedback on the workshop, and the opportunity provided to discuss these issues more generally, was very supportive.
Once published, the final report will be publicly available through both SMEEF and SAMS and will hopefully contribute to ongoing discussions about how to implement appropriate compensatory measures for marine mammals in relation to marine renewable energy developments, in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.
In 2025 SMEEF was able to provide a grant of £19,984 to support this work using resources from the Nature Restoration Fund.