24 September 2012
The network of MPAs in UK waters is to include sites selected for the protection of birds.
The Federation met with advisers from JNCC and Natural England on 11th September to discuss work in motion to identify areas in English waters to go forward as special protection areas (SPAs) under the European Birds Directive.
The plans include the following (see figure):
- Seaward extensions of existing terrestrial sites: Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs, Coquet Island and the Farne Islands.
- Inshore winter aggregations including areas current under search off the South Cornwall coast between the Lizard and St Austell, the Greater Wash and Solway Firth (together with Scotland)
- Additional areas for balearic shearwater with a current focus around the Lyme Bay area, terns and breeding shag.
- Potential additional species for existing SPAs – Liverpool Bay – (little gull and tern) and Outer Thames Estuary (tern).
- Offshore areas that have yet to be identified.
Whilst there was still much work to do to identify sites it is estimated that the network in English waters may eventually include around 10-20 sites. The first site to go forward was expected to be Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs extension with a formal consultation expected early in 2013 and designation in 2014 with other sites formally identified by 2015, where possible.
Like Habitats Directive SAC sites, the selection of such areas must be based upon scientific grounds only following case law rulings.
The Federation reflected that:
- Despite the selection process being limited to scientific considerations, fishermen often had the in depth knowledge of the nature of the populations particularly in coastal sites on grounds that fishermen fished day after day. It was important therefore that for consultation to be meaningful that the science was effectively communicated so that fishermen could contribute their knowledge to inform understanding.
- Many species of seabird had benefited from the activities of the fishing industry and certainly there was substantial evidence that the industry had coexisted with seabird populations throughout history. It was also acknowledged that all but one of the species listed as rare or declining, the populations were improving and the present stresses upon some colonies were likely to be due to climate change rather than anything that the fishing industry was doing. As generally speaking data on bird populations was more extensive and robust than for many marine species, this allowed for tailored management with a high certainty over the levels of pressures that could be associated with maintaining flourishing bird populations.
- Early dialogue on the interactions between fisheries and protected bird species was essential in order to determine whether any intervention was necessary or appropriate, and if it was, what where the possible approaches that ensured coexistence with existing fisheries. This needed to recognise that in some cases a period for research and development might be the best approach and this needed sufficient lead time in order to complete. Such an approach was more conducive to a lighter touch regulation and the avoidance of knee jerk management responses.
- There should be no “as well as” situations where the selection of potential sites for bird habitat reasons came on the back of existing proposed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs); instead MCZ sites needed to be re-evaluated towards creating an optimal MPA network.
Following extensive discussion it was agreed to:
- Maintain dialogue through the MPA fishing Coalition at the national level supplemented through technical meetings as required.
- Develop a local dialogue on the first sites moving forward for designation including Flamborough and Bempton Cliffs and Southern Cornwall. This would be appropriate once potential scenarios for the impact assessments had been advanced. Dialogue at this level would help to inform the wider approach for other sites.