The Crown Estate Lease
An important point about the new scheme is that the planning permission will be attached to the area of foreshore / seabed in question and will not be company specific. Where the foreshore / seabed is Crown owned then the right to occupy the site will be by means of a lease from The Crown Estate as landowner.
An application for a fish farming lease can be made at any time, a valid planning consent is not a prerequisite. If planning permission has not been obtained, then a lease-option will be offered rather than a full lease (a lease-option will be important where an applicant does not want to commit to the expenditure of pursuing a planning application without some assurance that a lease will be granted if planning permission is obtained). A lease-option agreement would remain in place until planning permission is granted but would lapse if the planning permission is not granted within the period specified in the option agreement.
We encourage those who may wish to apply for a lease or lease option agreement to contact us prior to applying to check on the availability of the location concerned.
The application form and guidance notes are available at the top of this page.
Other bodies involved in the aquaculture consents process are:
- SEPA, in the form of a discharge consent under the Control of Pollution Act 1974,
- The Scottish Executive in respect of navigational issues arising from marine fish farms under the Coast Protection Act 1949,
- The Scottish Executive in respect of its responsibilities for the registration of fish farms, under the Diseases of Fish Acts 1937 and 1983 respectively and,
- The Health and Safety Executive under the terms of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations
In order to assist the industry in preparing comprehensive and detailed applications, and to fulfil the requirements of environmental impact assessment an environmental assessment guidance manual has been prepared. The guidance note was a joint initiative with the salmon industry and concentrated on the scoping, preparation and submission of site applications, focused on evaluation of the need for and, where appropriate, preparation of environmental statements.
Research and Reinvestment
The Crown Estate has reinvested over £2 million of fish farming revenue into research and education-related projects since commercial rents were first introduced. The reinvestment strategy has aimed to improve the viability of fish farming with a view to securing a long term, sustainable future. The Crown Estate has provided around £100,000 a year towards a number of initiatives since 1988, principally directed towards new research and the identification of practical solutions to identified issues. For further information please visit our aquaculture research page.
Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum
The Ministers Aquaculture Strategy document published in April 2003 recommended the establishment of a new body to review marine aquaculture research priorities and to co-ordinate funding commitment from amongst its membership. This body is the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF). The Crown Estate is a main contributor of funds to SARF.
Scottish Ministers announced the revision of the Aquaculture Strategy in 2007, and SARF is anticipated to remain a strong focus of the new strategy.
Development Measures
In addition to support through the aquaculture research fund, we have worked closely with the salmon industry on a range of development measures aimed at restoring confidence within the industry itself and amongst both consumers and the financial community. A fund of up to £600,000 was made available over the period April 2004 – March 2006. Projects either completed or underway include:
1. Marketing initiative in partnership with Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation – a short campaign launched in summer 2004 which emphasised the health benefits derived from eating farmed salmon. This has since been acclaimed as a great success with an encouraging increase in market sales.
2. Industry award scheme – sponsored by The Crown Estate and highlighting areas of good practice within the salmon farming industry with particular emphasis on environmental performance and business entrepreneurship. This scheme is to be retained and expanded to incorporate all marine aquaculture activities, with the first Crown Estate Marine Aquaculture Awards held in 2008.
The Future
Some salmon farmers are looking to diversify into alternative finfish species, with halibut and cod being the most favoured. Investment in alternative species has increased, more particularly cod production in Shetland.
Opportunity for development of new finfish sites is expected to be limited, unless offshore or exposed locations become attractive. Modification and consolidation of existing sites, either by a change of species or change in equipment specification, or relocation to alternative sites is likely to be the way forward.
Further Information
For further information please email us at  .
For further information on our Scottish holdings, please visit our Scotland page.
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