Formal consultation starts on proposed European marine
sites
27 November 2009
A formal consultation on 12 proposed new marine conservation
sites starts today. The sites are being put forward as the
latest additions to the ‘Natura 2000’ network of European protected
areas designed to protect important habitats, species and
birds.
The 12 proposed new sites consist of 10 possible Special Areas
of Conservation (pSACs) and two potential Special Protection Areas
(pSPAs) which incorporate a range of important habitats and species
- from the sandbanks of the Outer Wash and southern North Sea to
areas in the Irish Sea that are important for birds, and to the
cold water coral reefs off north-west Scotland.
Natural England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the
Countryside Council for Wales are asking consultees to comment on
the scientific reasons for proposing the sites, and on the
assessment of the likely impacts of the site designation on marine
industries such as fishing, recreation, sand and gravel extraction,
windfarms and the oil and gas industry.
If approved, the new sites would treble the existing marine
areas within the SAC/SPA designation in England.
Dr. Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said:
“The Natura 2000 network of marine protected areas is a vital way
of ensuring that our most important marine habitats and bird
species are effectively protected. The consultation on the
proposed new sites will create significant opportunities to promote
understanding of our precious marine undersea landscapes, to share
information to help refine the evidence for the proposed sites, and
to work together with all users of the marine environment to
develop future management measures.”
Marcus Yeo, Managing Director of JNCC, said: “This consultation
process gives us the chance to ensure that all relevant information
has been considered in our recommendations. This will help these
sites to be recognised as ones that fully deserve their high
profile and consequent protection.”
UK Fisheries Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “The sites to
be consulted on have been identified to protect habitats and
species of national and European importance. In conjunction with
Marine Conservation Zones, established under the Marine and Coastal
Access Act, these sites will contribute to delivering an
ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas. Feedback
is important and will help shape our final proposals to the
European Commission in 2010.”
Following this formal consultation process, site proposals will be
submitted to Government, and Ministers will decide which site
recommendations to submit to the European Commission in August
2010.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
a) All information on the English and joint sites, including
proposed boundary maps, can be found on Natural England’s web site:
www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/marine/sacconsultation/default.aspx
To comment formally on the proposals for the English and joint
sites, write to:
Formal comments on the proposals for Liverpool Bay/Bae Lerpwl
pSPA may also be sent in Welsh or English to the Countryside
Council for Wales at:
b) All information on the two fully offshore sites
(Bassurelle Sandbank and North-West Rockall Bank) can be found on
JNCC’s web site: www.jncc.gov.uk/marineconsult
To comment formally on the proposal for the two fully offshore
sites, write to:
The consultation runs for three months from 27 November 2009 to
26 February 2010.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
1. The possible SACs being consulted upon are:
Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge (joint English/offshore
site for sandbank and reef)
Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton (joint English/offshore site for
sandbank)
Margate and Long Sands (English site for sandbank)
Bassurelle Sandbank (offshore site for sandbank)
Poole Bay to Lyme Bay (English site for reef and sea caves )
Prawle Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone (English site for reef
)
Lizard Point (English site for reef )
Lands End and Cape Bank (English site for reef)
Shell Flat and Lune Deep (English site for sandbank and reef)
North-West Rockall Bank (offshore site for reef)
The potential SPAs being consulted upon are:
Outer Thames (joint English/offshore site for red throated
diver)
Liverpool Bay (joint English/Welsh site for red throated diver and
common scoter)
2. Natura 2000 is the name for all European terrestrial
and marine sites which are designated under European legislation.
This legislation includes the Birds Directive (1979) and the
Habitats Directive (1992), both of which are implemented in the UK
under the Habitats Regulations (1994) on land and in the sea out to
12 nautical miles and the Offshore Regulations (2007) for the UK’s
offshore marine area (from 12 nautical miles, within British
Fishery Limits and the seabed within the UK Continental Shelf
Designated Area). There are currently 81 SACs with marine
components and 73 SPAs with marine components in the UK which cover
1.76 million hectares.
3. Undersea habitats that would benefit from protection
under the proposed new designations are sandbanks, reefs and sea
caves. Sandbanks act as nursery grounds for many commercial fish
species such as plaice and sole whilst also supporting sand eel
communities that are a food source for seabirds, porpoises and
seals. In contrast reefs support a colourful array of sponges, sea
squirts and corals that provide shelter for crabs, lobsters and
fish such as the multi-coloured cuckoo wrasse.
4. UK inshore waters lie from the coastline to 12 nautical
miles. Each of the country agencies (Natural England, Countryside
Council for Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Council for
Nature Conservation and the Countryside) is responsible
implementing the Habitats and Birds Directives for inshore waters.
The UK offshore area lies between 12 and 200 nautical miles from
the coast and out to the Continental Shelf designated area. JNCC is
responsible for the implementation of the EC Habitats and Birds
Directives in this sea area. Where sites overlap, the agencies work
together.
5. As the Government’s statutory advisers, Natural
England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and
Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) have been working together to
identify important or threatened examples of marine habitats and
species in inshore and offshore waters, and to map the boundaries
of the sites that are proposed for special protection.
6. Natural England was established in 2006, and is the
government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. All
information on the English and joint sites, including proposed
boundary maps, can be found on its web site:
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/marine/sacconsultation/default.aspx
7. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) is the
statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature
conservation on behalf of the Council for Nature Conservation and
the Countryside, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England
and Scottish Natural Heritage. Its work contributes to maintaining
and enriching biological diversity, conserving geological features
and sustaining natural systems. All information on the two fully
offshore sites (Bassurelle Sandbank and North-West Rockall Bank)
can be found on JNCC’s web site: www.jncc.gov.uk/marineconsult
8. The Countryside Council for Wales is an Assembly
Government Sponsored Body, working for a better Wales where
everyone values and cares for our natural environment. More
information about its work is available on: http://www.ccw.gov.uk/
9. Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs):
MCZs are a new national designation as proposed in the new Marine
and Coastal Access Act. MCZs will be designated to protect
nationally important and representative habitats and species and,
together with the Natura 2000 sites, Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSIs), Ramsar sites and new national MPAs in Scotland
and Northern Ireland will create the UK MPA network. MCZs in
English inshore and English, Welsh and Northern Irish offshore
waters will be identified through a different process to the Natura
2000 sites. Recommendations are proposed to be made to Government
by October 2011. More information about the MCZ Project can be
found on Natural England’s web site:
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/marine/protectandmanage/mpa/conservationzones.aspx
10. Scottish MPA Project:
Under the UK Marine Act the Scottish Government will gain executive
devolution of marine nature conservation and marine planning
functions in offshore waters adjacent to Scotland. The
identification, selection and designation of Marine Protected Areas
(MPAs) in offshore waters adjacent to Scotland will be led by
Marine Scotland in partnership with JNCC. This Scottish MPA
project will facilitate a science based process with integral
stakeholder engagement to develop recommendations on the MPAs
required to complete the MPA network in offshore waters adjacent to
Scotland.
11. Interviews and photos are available on request from
Natural England’s and JNCC’s press offices:
Natural England: for English inshore waters
Michelle Hawkins, press officer, Natural England
T: 0300 060 1109
M: 07775 585 935
E:
W: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/
Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC): for UK
offshore waters
Communications Team, JNCC
T: 01733 866 839
E:
W: www.jncc.gov.uk/marineprotectedsites