Marine pen fish farming: Charging changes
Annex 2. Phasing-in our monitoring plan
This annex describes how we have calculated the cost of monitoring that we will carry out in 2025. Staff costs also cover the work required to prepare the 2026 monitoring programme.
Table 1. Summary of costs for 2025
|
Item |
Annual Cost |
Detail |
|
Sea trout lice monitoring |
£84k |
12 sites to be sampled for 2025. Ten of these to be drawn from the network of sites previously funded by Scottish Government, prioritising those with a long time series and proven suitability for effective sampling, plus 2 new sites in Orkney. |
|
Staff costs |
£134k |
Coordination, planning surveys, procurement, contract management, data management, data analysis, reporting. Includes overheads. |
|
£89k |
Data management, analysis and reporting, technical support for survey planning, site audits. Includes overheads. |
|
|
Overall cost |
£307k |
|
Organising and planning surveys
We have calculated the costs of the sea trout monitoring using the following assumptions.
Monitoring sites included based on:
- Maintain time series of existing data points and using knowledge of feasible sampling sites.
- New sites in Orkney located on the basis of best available knowledge of sea trout producing rivers and coastal habitat use.
- Latest understanding of sea lice risk from modelling.
- Maximising geographic coverage in combination with separate EMP plans.
Writing statement of requirements and procuring services (SEPA)
Arranging necessary permissions (Contractors):
- Marine Directorate licensing (where close to river mouths).
- Landowner permissions.
- Crown Estate (for Fyke traps).
- Maritime and Coastal Agency (fyke traps).
- NatureScot (SAC areas).
Costs to be covered through procurement of 3rd party services, estimate £2.4k for 2025
Delivering monitoring
The existing network of sea trout lice monitoring sites will be used to identify 10 sites that have consistently been sampled effectively in the past and have a long time-series of data which has proven useful for previously published studies. These will be sites which would not otherwise be covered under existing EMPs, and which have been sampled using Scottish Government funding in previous years.
In addition, 2 sites will be included in Orkney to begin collecting baseline evidence in this region.
The most up to date SFCC monitoring procedures should be followed to ensure data quality. Provision should also be made to include tissue sampling for potential future genetic stock identification of sea trout individuals.
|
Total estimate =12 sites. Cost per site estimated at £6k. 10% contingency added for travel to islands and remote areas Data entry and management prior to provision to SEPA estimated at £2.4k for 2025. Total cost for seine netting estimated as £84k |
Auditing of a selection of sites required, to be delivered by SEPA
- Details and extent to be agreed but expected to be covered in part by existing fish ecology and EPO resource.
- Appropriate expertise available in SEPA fish ecology team, plus additional training to be delivered by IMR through funded SLIPD project.
Total sea trout monitoring delivery cost for 2025 estimated as c.£84k