The formation of the Fisheries Peer Review Group, which is to be chaired by the former Director of Environment Agency Wales, Chris Mills, has been announced by Tidal Lagoon Power.
Acting as independent advisors to Tidal Lagoon Power, the Fisheries Peer Review Group will provide additional support to Andy Schofield who has joined the business as Head of Fisheries
The aim of the Fisheries Peer Review Group is to advise Tidal Lagoon Power on the methodology being adopted to predict and assess effects and impacts on fish. This will form part of the broader environmental impact assessments of Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon and will help to advise future lagoon developments.
Chris Mills explains: “I believe that Tidal Lagoon Power recognises the complexity of the environmental challenges associated with development in areas like the Severn Estuary, with its dynamic coastal and marine environment and network of overlaid designations from European Marine Sites to local nature reserves.“
“Peer review is an essential part of achieving high quality, independent and authoritative outputs, which are accepted by regulators and other key stakeholders including the public.”
Graham Hillier, Managing Director of Development Services for Tidal Lagoon Power, adds: “I am delighted to welcome Andy to the team as Head of Fisheries. Building on existing knowledge and expertise, we continue to progress engineering-based feasibility studies to investigate which options could minimise environmental effects and maximise the tidal energy that can be harnessed through a series of lagoons, starting in Swansea, Cardiff and Newport.”
“The Fisheries Peer Review Group has therefore been created to provide us with expert, professional, independent validation of data requirements, survey objectives, survey methods, survey findings, modelling methods and parameters, model outputs, model interpretation and impact assessment.”
