2004, EMU, Kentish Flats, Monitoring Programme Fisheries Surveys

As part of the monitoring programme stipulated within the FEPA Licence for the construction of a 129MW offshore wind farm on the Kentish Flats, Thames Estuary, fish monitoring surveys are required as little is known about the potential effects of wind farms in terms of enhancing or aggregating fish populations. Advice detailed in Annex I of the FEPA Licence (Licence 31780/03/0) for the Kentish Flats Wind Farm states that ‘adequate pre-construction baseline and post-construction surveys of fish populations in the area of the wind farm’ need be undertaken. Three surveys were programmed to be undertaken pre-construction with seasonal fish monitoring surveys undertaken following commissioning of the wind farm over a period of approximately 12 months encompassing the projected first operational year of the wind farm.