Offshore SACs

Since August 2007 the UK has had the legal mechanism to designate SACs in the UK offshore marine area under the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 2007 (as amended).

JNCC is responsible for selecting SACs in the UK offshore marine area. This includes waters beyond 12 nautical miles, within British Fishery Limits and the seabed within the UK Continental Shelf Designated Area. For areas within the UK Continental Shelf Designated Area but beyond the British Fishery Limit, JNCC can recommend SACs only for habitat features associated with the seabed.

Where a site crosses the 12 nautical mile boundary, if the site lies more than 90% in offshore waters it will be progressed by JNCC. Sites between 10 and 90% in offshore waters will be progressed jointly by JNCC and the relevant country conservation agency.

Twenty sites in UK offshore waters have now been submitted to the European Commission. The first five were submitted on 31st August 2008, the next six were submitted on 20th August 2010 (two of these sites are joint inshore:offshore sites), the Dogger Bank was submitted on 26th August 2011, a further three sites were submitted on 30th August 2012 and most recently five sites were submitted on 31 October 2012. All offshore sites which JNCC has formally recommended to Government have now been submitted to the commission and these are all now candidate SACs.