The effect of fish impingement at Sizewell 'A' Power Station, Suffolk, on North Sea fish stocks

Samples collected from the cooling water intake screens of Sizewell 'A' power station over a 12 month period contained 73 species of fish. Of these, only 20 species were present on more than 50% of sampling dates and only 7 commercially exploited species were caught in quantities of more than a few hundred over the year; namely sprat, herring, cod, whiting, sole, dab and plaice. These species formed the basis of analysis of the impact of the Power Station on commercial species. Commercial species found in the Sizewell area are part of major North Sea stocks. The impact of the losses due to the Power Station is spread over these stocks, hence the effect is minimal. The mortality rate caused by the Power Station is one thousandth to one hundred-thousandth, depending on species, of that caused by commercial fishing and the effect is less than that of a small, inefficient commercial trawler. (author)