Marine Protected Areas in Scotland’s Seas

Ecological data workshop

David Mallon

Marine Environment Branch

Marine Scotland

Background

• Powers and duties – Marine (Scotland) Act and UK Marine and Coastal Access Act

• Territorial and Offshore waters• Three pillar approach (Priority Marine Features)

i. Species Measures

ii. Site protection measures

iii. Wider seas policies and measures

Scottish MPA project

• Project partnership – Marine Scotland, SNH, JNCC, Historic Scotland and SEPA

• Nature Conservation MPAs• Demonstration & Research MPAs• Historic MPAs• Science-based process

Principles

1. Deliver Scotland’s MPA commitments2. Benefits for marine natural features and support wider

ecosystem function3. To include marine natural features considered as

priorities for area-based protection in Scotland’s waters4. Individual sites considered on their merit in contributing

to ecological coherence of network

Principles

5. Network development to take into account distinctive biogeographical differences of our seas

6. MPA network composed of a range of different types of protected areas

7. Network managed to deliver long-term protection to marine natural features

8. Significant progress towards identifying Nature Conservation MPAs to complete network will have been made by the end of 2012

Ecological coherence• Guidance developed under OSPAR Convention on key

design features associated with ecological coherence:

– Representation – Replication – Size of site – Adequacy – Connectivity – Management

Features

• MPA search features– Underpin the initial selection of Nature Conservation

MPAs• MPA protected features

– Features which are formally protected by the designation order for a Nature Conservation MPA

• Network features– Features afforded protection by the MPA network as a

whole

Network

• Network composition– Nature Conservation MPAs– Other areas which are formally designated– Area-based measures

• Finalised selection guidelines publishedwww.scotland.gov.uk/marinescotland/mpaguidelines

Network timescales

Report on progress of

MPA network 2012

Define Good Environmental

Status 2012 (MSFD)

Deliver a well managed network

of sites 2016

Good Environmental

Status achieved for UK seas 2020

Identify a MPA network 2012

Future stakeholder engagement• Stakeholder engagement overview publication - 2011

2011 / 2012 & ongoing• National stakeholder workshops• Marine Strategy Forum• Bilaterals with different national organisations

2012 onwards• Detailed discussions on MPA proposals

Workshop

• What we are about to present

– Data collated to date

• What we need from you

– Gaps in the data

– Metadata on potential data sources

• Third party proposals

– Add your anticipated submissions to flip chart

marineconservation@scotland.gsi.gov.uk - Scottish watersmpa@snh.gov.uk - Territorial watersscottishmpas@jncc.gov.uk - Offshore waters