Marine Protected Areas in Scotland explained

In Scotland, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated areas of the sea aimed at protecting habitats, wildlife, geology, undersea landforms, historic shipwrecks, and demonstrating sustainable management of marine resources. As of December 2020, approximately 37% of Scotland's seas are covered by the Scottish MPA network, which comprises a total of 244 sites.^[1]

Designation

As of December 2020, Scotland's MPA network comprises 244 sites protected under various conservation designations.^[2] Many of these designations are the same as those used on land, such as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).^{[3] [4]} This figure includes four sites designated in December 2020:^{[5] [6]} North-east Lewis; Shiant East Bank; Sea of the Hebrides; and the Southern Trench.

The legal framework for designating MPAs depends on the designation. For example, SSSIs are designated under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.^[7] Where sites are not designated under other conservation legislation, MPAs are designated under one of two acts of parliament, depending on their location:

• The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 is an act of the Scottish Parliament that gives the Scottish Government the power to designate MPAs in Scottish Territorial Waters (waters up to 12 nautical miles off the coastline).
• The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 is an act of the UK Parliament that gives the Scottish Government the power to designate MPAs in Scottish Offshore Waters (waters lying further from the coast than 12 nautical miles, and defined as Scottish by the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999).^{[8] [9]}

Sites are designated as MPAs under these acts for one of three purposes:^[10]

• Nature Conservation MPAs are designated to protect biodiversity.
• Historical MPAs are used to protect sites such as marine wrecks and artefacts.
• Demonstration and Research MPAs are designated to test novel approaches to marine management.

In addition to the statutory MPAs, five sites are recognized as part of the Scottish MPA network, categorized as "other area-based measures." Although these areas were not specifically created for nature conservation purposes, they are considered to contribute to the protection of marine biodiversity. The makeup of the network as of December 2020 is detailed in the table below:^[2]

Purpose Designation Number Nature Conservation Special Area of Conservation (SAC) 58 Nature Conservation Special Protection Area (SPA) 56 Nature Conservation Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 65 Nature Conservation 16 Nature Conservation Nature Conservation MPA 35 Total MPAs for nature conservation purposes 230 Demonstration and Research Demonstration and Research MPA 1 Historic Historic MPA 8 Other Area Based Measures 5 Total sites in Scottish MPA network 244

Management

The lead body for the management of MPAs in Scotland is Marine Scotland. For nature conservation sites within territorial waters, NatureScot is responsible for developing the network, providing scientific advice to the Scottish Government on site selection, and advising Marine Scotland on management once sites are designated. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) fulfills this role for sites in offshore waters and also has a coordinating role for nature conservation across all the UK's offshore waters.^[7] Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for managing historic MPAs.^[11]

Activities undertaken in an MPA can be managed through voluntary measures or by implementing Marine Conservation Orders or Inshore Fishing Orders. Management measures, such as restrictions on the type of fishing gear that can be used, may be in place for all or part of an MPA and may only apply at certain times of the year.^[10] Environmental groups have criticized the government for failing to enforce fishing rules around MPAs.^[12]

List of MPAs

These tables list those MPAs not covered by other designations (i.e. excluding SACs, SPAs, and SSSIs etc.) as of December 2020.^{[13] [14]}

Historic MPAs

Name Size (ha) Date Type Advisory body HMS Campania 7.1^[15] 1 November 2013 Historic HES HMS Dartmouth 0.8^[16] 1 November 2013 Historic HES Drumbeg 7.1^[17] 18 March 2013 Historic HES Duart Point 1.8^[18] 1 November 2013 Historic HES Iona I 2.5^[19] 26 October 2016 Historic HES Kinlochbervie 28.3^[20] 1 November 2013 Historic HES Mingary 19.6^[21] 1 November 2013 Historic HES Out Skerries 22.8^[22] 1 November 2013 Historic HES

Nature Conservation MPAs

Name Size (km^2) Date Type Advisory body Central Fladen 925 7 August 2014^[23] Nature Conservation JNCC Clyde Sea Sill 712 7 August 2014^[24] Nature Conservation NatureScot East Caithness Cliffs 114 7 August 2014^[25] Nature Conservation NatureScot East of Gannet and Montrose Fields 1839 7 August 2014^[26] Nature Conservation JNCC Faroe–Shetland Sponge Belt 5278 7 August 2014^[27] Nature Conservation JNCC Fetlar to Haroldswick 216 18 November 2016^[28] Nature Conservation NatureScot Firth of Forth Banks Complex 2130 7 August 2014^[29] Nature Conservation JNCC Geikie Slide and Hebridean Slope 2215 7 August 2014^[30] Nature Conservation JNCC Hatton-Rockall Basin 1256 7 August 2014^[31] Nature Conservation JNCC Loch Carron 23 19 May 2019^[32] Nature Conservation NatureScot Loch Creran 12 7 August 2014^[33] Nature Conservation NatureScot Loch Sunart 49 7 August 2014^[34] Nature Conservation NatureScot Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura 741 7 August 2014^[35] Nature Conservation NatureScot Loch Sween 41 7 August 2014^[36] Nature Conservation NatureScot Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh 37 7 August 2014^[37] Nature Conservation NatureScot Monach Isles 62 7 August 2014^[38] Nature Conservation NatureScot Mousa to Boddam 13 7 August 2014^[39] Nature Conservation NatureScot North-east Faroe–Shetland Channel 23682 7 August 2014^[40] Nature Conservation JNCC North-east Lewis 90700 3 December 2020^[41] Nature Conservation NatureScot North-west Orkney 4365 7 August 2014^[42] Nature Conservation JNCC Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain 164 7 August 2014^[43] Nature Conservation JNCC Noss Head 8 7 August 2014^[44] Nature Conservation NatureScot Red Rocks and Longay 12 16 December 2021^[45] Nature Conservation NatureScot Papa Westray 33 7 August 2014^[46] Nature Conservation NatureScot Sea of the Hebrides 10039 3 December 2020^[47] Nature Conservation NatureScot Shiant East Bank 25200 3 December 2020^[48] Nature Conservation NatureScot Small Isles 803 18 November 2016^[49] Nature Conservation NatureScot Southern Trench 239800 3 December 2020^[50] Nature Conservation NatureScot South Arran 280 7 August 2014^[51] Nature Conservation NatureScot The Barra Fan and Hebrides Terrace Seamount 4373 7 August 2014^[52] Nature Conservation JNCC Turbot Bank 251 7 August 2014^[53] Nature Conservation JNCC Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil 88 7 August 2014^[54] Nature Conservation NatureScot 107773 9 October 2020^[55] Nature Conservation JNCC West Shetland Shelf 4083 7 August 2014^[56] Nature Conservation JNCC Wester Ross 599 7 August 2014^[57] Nature Conservation NatureScot Wyre and Rousay Sounds 16 7 August 2014^[58] Nature Conservation NatureScot

Demonstration and Research MPA

There is one Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the waters surrounding Fair Isle. This MPA was designated on 9 November 2016.^[59] The aims of this MPA designation are defined as follows:

Other area based measures

Name Size (km^2) East Coast of Scotland (sand eels) 21,320^[60] West of Scotland (blue ling) 6,009 Rosemary Bank (blue ling) 8,955 West Rockall Mound 5,124 North West Rockall 346

Proposed NCMPAs

As of 2020, two additional Historic Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been proposed, following a consultation exercise conducted by Historic Environment Scotland that closed on 27 November.^[61] The two proposed sites are:^[62]

• The wreck of the Swedish East India Company ship Queen of Sweden in Bressay Sound, Shetland.
• A 10.7 km² area in Scapa Flow, Orkney, including the site of the scuttled German High Seas Fleet.

References

Bibliography

• Web site: Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. Scottish Government. December 2018. 15 August 2019.

Citations

External links

• Scotland's Marine Protected Area network - NatureScot
• Marine Heritage - Historic Environment Scotland

Notes and References

1. Web site: Scotland’s Marine Protected Areas. NatureScot. 11 December 2020.
2. Web site: Scotland’s Marine Protected Area Network. NatureScot. 11 December 2020.
3. Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 11.
4. Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 32.
5. News: New sites given special status to protect marine life . BBC . 3 December 2020 . 10 December 2020.
6. Web site: 2019 Possible Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas Consultation. NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
7. Web site: Different Types of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage. 2014. 16 August 2019.
8. Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 5.
9. Web site: Valuing the Benefits of Designating a Network of Scottish MPAs in Territorial and Offshore Waters. November 2012. Javier González-Álvarez. 15 August 2019. 3.
10. Web site: Possible Marine Protected Area Consultation - Frequently Asked Questions. June 2019. Scottish Natural Heritage. 15 August 2019.
11. Web site: Scotland's Historic Marine Protected Areas. Historic Environment Scotland. 16 August 2019. 14 June 2019.
12. Web site: Fines to rogue fishermen fall and illegal fishing escapes prosecution. 2019-10-06. The Ferret. en-GB. 2019-10-06.
13. Web site: SiteLink. NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
14. Web site: Search. Historic Environment Scotland. 16 August 2019.
15. Web site: Historic Marine Protected Area: Campania. 22 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
16. Web site: Historic Marine Protected Area: Dartmouth. 22 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
17. Web site: Historic Marine Protected Area: Drumbeg. 23 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
18. Web site: Historic Marine Protect Area: Duart Point. 22 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
19. Web site: Historic Marine Protected Area: Iona I. 23 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
20. Web site: Historic Marine Protected Area: Kinlochbervie. 23 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
21. Web site: Historic Marine Protected Area: Mingary. 23 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
22. Web site: Historic Marine Protected Area: Out Skerries. 23 October 2020. Historic Environment Scotland.
23. Web site: SiteLink: Central Fladen MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
24. Web site: SiteLink: Clyde Sea Sill MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
25. Web site: SiteLink: East Caithness Cliffs MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
26. Web site: SiteLink: East of Gannet and Montrose Fields MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
27. Web site: SiteLink: Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
28. Web site: SiteLink: Fetlar to Haroldswick MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
29. Web site: SiteLink: Firth of Forth Banks Complex MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
30. Web site: SiteLink: Geikie Slide and Hebridean Slope MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
31. Web site: SiteLink: Hatton-Rockall Basin MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
32. Web site: SiteLink: Loch Carron MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
33. Web site: SiteLink: Loch Creran MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
34. Web site: SiteLink: Loch Sunart MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
35. Web site: SiteLink: Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
36. Web site: SiteLink: Loch Sween MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
37. Web site: SiteLink: Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
38. Web site: SiteLink: Monach Isles MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
39. Web site: SiteLink: Mousa to Boddam MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
40. Web site: SiteLink: North-east Faroe-Shetland Channel MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
41. Web site: SiteLink: North-east Lewis MPA(NC). NatureScot. 10 December 2020.
42. Web site: SiteLink: North-west Orkney MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
43. Web site: SiteLink: Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
44. Web site: SiteLink: Noss Head MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
45. Web site: SiteLink: Red Rocks and Longay MPA(NC). NatureScot. 27 January 2022.
46. Web site: SiteLink: Papa Westray MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
47. Web site: SiteLink: Sea of the Hebrides MPA(NC). NatureScot. 10 December 2020.
48. Web site: SiteLink: Shiant East Bank MPA(NC). NatureScot. 10 December 2020.
49. Web site: SiteLink: Small Isles MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
50. Web site: SiteLink: Southern Trench MPA(NC). NatureScot. 10 December 2020.
51. Web site: SiteLink: South Arran MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
52. Web site: SiteLink: The Barra Fan and Hebrides Terrace Seamount MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
53. Web site: SiteLink: Turbot Bank MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
54. Web site: SiteLink: Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
55. Web site: SiteLink: West of Scotland MPA(NC). NatureScot. 22 October 2020.
56. Web site: SiteLink: West Shetland Shelf MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
57. Web site: SiteLink: Wester Ross MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
58. Web site: SiteLink: Wyre and Rousay Sounds MPA(NC). NatureScot. 7 October 2020.
59. Web site: Fair Isle MPA (DR). NatureScot.
60. Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 31.
61. Web site: Proposal to designate two historic marine protected areas: consultation. Appendix A. Scottish Government. 10 December 2019.
62. Web site: Proposal to designate two historic marine protected areas: consultation. The Proposals). Scottish Government. 10 December 2019.