Publication - Progress report

Marine Protected Area network: 2024 report to the Scottish Parliament

Published: 19 December 2024
Directorate: Marine Directorate
Topic: Environment and climate change, Marine and fisheries
ISBN: 9781836017189

A report to the Scottish Parliament on progress being made in implementing Scotland's Marine Protected Area (MPA) network.

Supporting documents

Annex 5: MPA objectives and progress towards them

Tables 5.1 to 5.5 provide an overview of the progress made in achieving the conservation objective(s) for each MPA in Scotland's seas. The presentation aligns with the OSPAR reporting obligations on management effectiveness which considers:

A. whether management information is adequately documented

B. whether management measures considered necessary to achieve the conservation objective(s) of the protected feature(s) of the MPAs are in place

C. whether monitoring is adequate to track progress towards the achievement of conservation objectives

D. whether MPAs are moving towards, or have achieved, their conservation objective(s)

Similar information was presented on Nature Conservation MPAs in the previous report to Scottish Ministers in 2018, but this report advances that by also including Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation in the assessment.

A number of key messages have emerged from this analysis:

Summary

There is increased confidence in some assessments, with some sites now considered to be achieving objectives, which were previously assessed as unknown. For most sites the assessments have remained as partial, which reflects achieving the MPA objectives is still a work in progress. The full details of each site assessment can be found on the NatureScot webpage.

A. Adequate documentation of management information

The majority of MPAs in Scotland's seas have publicly available information on the management measures either in place, or that are considered necessary to be put in place, on JNCC's site information centres for offshore sitesand NatureScot's Site Link webpages (Conservation and Management Advice documents) for inshore sites.
Spatial information for protected features is viewable on NationalMarine Plan Interactive and for inshore sites, downloadable from Nature Scot Open Data Hub, and JNCC's Interactive MPA Mapper for offshore sites.
The main gap relates to availability of information for birds.

B. Implementation of management measures

For all sites in Scotland's seas, mitigation against the impacts of licensable activities are regulated through the marine licensing and consents processes.
27.5% of Scottish MPAs are considered to have implemented all the management measures considered necessary to achieve their conservation objective(s). 70% have partial implementation of management and just under 2.5% have yet to put in place any management considered necessary to meet conservation objectives.
The main reason for partial and no management reporting is because work is currently underway to implement management measures for fishing activity across a large proportion of the Scottish MPA network e.g. Consultation on offshore marine conservation measures and plans for consultation on inshore marine conservation measures in 2025.
We anticipate that by the next MPA reporting cycle we will be able to report that Scottish MPAs will have the management measures in place to achieve the conservation objective(s) of the sites.

C. Marine monitoring is in place

The majority of sites (80%) have some monitoring being implemented or in the process of being implemented, some sites (7%) have all the monitoring required implemented fully and the remaining sites (13%) have yet to be prioritised for monitoring.
Work is underway to direct future monitoring using the principles set out in Scottish MPA monitoring strategy (prioritising, collaboration, innovation etc) to continue to support reporting obligations.
Marine monitoring is costly; and these costs increase further away from the coast. As such, the number of MPAs that can be subject to regular environmental monitoring programmes is a subset of the total number of MPAs in Scotland's seas.
In the offshore, MPA environmental monitoring more challenging. Whilst there are a small number of sites that have had repeat environmental monitoring surveys to support the analysis of change in condition as a result of management, many have not been prioritised due to lower risk assessments and some have only been subject to baseline survey work.

D. Moving towards the achievement of conservation objectives

30% of Scottish MPAs are considered to be moving towards their conservation objectives, while 47% of sites are partially moving towards their conservation objectives. Of the remainder, 13% are not moving towards their conservation objectives and for 10%, progress towards conservation objectives is unknown.
In the offshore, whilst the majority of sites are not considered to be achieving their conservation objectives, we expect the implementation of fisheries management orders (work currently underway) to have a significant positive impact on this assessment for the next MPA reporting cycle.
Due to limitations around the availability of site condition monitoring data, the majority of assessments in the offshore are based on a vulnerability assessment; namely our understanding of the human activities taking place and the sensitivity of protected features to the pressures associated with those activities.
For the inshore, the majority of sites are partially moving towards achieving conservation objectives, as the picture of feature condition is generally mixed or only some features are improving (this results in an assessment of yes or partial).
There is increased confidence in some of the assessments, with some sites whose status was unknown now considered to be achieving their objectives.
The reasons why some sites are not achieving their conservation objectives include a mixture of issues for example, management measures not in place, off-site factors, prey availability (otters/black guillemot), likely natural causes (serpulid reefs), and changes in feature use of the site (seals), but the reasons are not always fully understood.
We are supporting a number of research projects to help advance the achievement of conservation objectives in Scottish MPAs and address knowledge gaps and improve understanding.

Table 5.1: Symbology legend for tables 5.2 to 5.5

Table 5.2: Progress towards MPA objectives and management effectiveness for offshore sites (24).

Table headers align with OSPAR reporting obligations. Please see Table 5.1 for legend details.

Relevant site documents are available on JNCC's Site Information Centres. Spatial information is available on Marine Directorate National Marine Plan Interactive webpages. A public consultation proposing management measures for 20 of these sites ended on 14 October 2024.

		A	B	C	D
MPA (SAC or NCMPA)	Conservation objectives	Management is documented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Anton Dohrn Seamount	Recover– Annex I reef	Yes	Partial	No	No
Braemar Pockmark	Recover – Submarine structures made by leaking gases	Yes	Partial	Partial	No
Central Fladen	To conserve, recover – burrowed mud	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Darwin Mounds	Recover– Annex I reef	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
East of Gannet and Montrose Fields	Recover– all features	Yes	Partial	Partial	No
East Rockall Bank	Recover– Annex I reef	Yes	Partial	No	No

		A	B	C	D
MPA (SAC or NCMPA)	Conservation objectives	Management is documented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt	To conserve, recover – deep-sea sponge aggregations, offshore subtidal sands and gravels, ocean quahog aggregations, geodiversity features.	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Firth of Forth Banks Complex (offshore/inshore site)	To conserve, recover – offshore subtidal sands and gravels, ocean quahog aggregations.	Yes	Partial	No	Partial

Geikie Slide and Hebridean Slope	To conserve, recover – offshore subtidal sands and gravels, offshore deep-sea mud, burrowed mud.	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Hatton-Rockall Basin	Unknown – all features	Yes	Yes	No	Unknown
Hatton Bank	Recover – Annex I reef	Yes	Yes	No	No
North-east Faroe-Shetland Channel	To conserve, restore – deep-sea sponge aggregations.	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA (SAC or NCMPA)	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
North-west Orkney (offshore/inshore site)	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
North west Rockall Bank	Recover– Annex I reef	Yes	Partial	No	No
Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain	Recover – ocean quahog aggregations.	Yes	Partial	Partial	No
Pobie Bank Reef (offshore/inshore site)	Recover – Annex I reef	Yes	No	Yes	No
Scanner Pockmark	Recover – Submarine structures made by leaking gases	Yes	Partial	Partial	No
Solan Bank Reef (offshore/inshore site)	Recover – Annex I reef	Yes	No	Partial	No
Stanton Banks	Recover – Annex I reef	Yes	No	Partial	No
The Barra Fan and Hebrides Terrace Seamount	To conserve, recover – all biodiversity features	Yes	Partial	No	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA (SAC or NCMPA)	Conservation objectives	Management is documented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Turbot Bank	Conserve – sandeels	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
West of Scotland	To conserve, recover – all biodiversity features (except blue ling)	Yes	Partial	No	Partial
West Shetland Shelf	To conserve	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Wyville Thomson Ridge	Recover – Annex I reef	Yes	No	Partial	No

Table 5.3: Progress towards MPA objectives and management effectiveness for the inshore Nature Conservation MPAs (23 sites).

Please see Table 5.1 for legend details. Some additional details for each component of MPA progress (A-D) is in the text below and the full assessment details can be found on NatureScot website as a download.

A: Conservation and Management Advice (CMAs) and other associated MPA documents can be found on Sitelink. Spatial information for protected features is viewable on National Marine Plan Interactive and downloadable from NatureScotOpenDataHub.

B: For all sites, impacts of licensable activities are regulated through the marine licensing process and assessed against the conservation objectives. In 2025, a consultation on management measures is planned for half of the sites (11).

C: Future monitoring programmes will be determined and delivered through the Scottish MPA Monitoring Strategy.

		A	B	C	D
NCMPA	Conservation objectives	Management is documented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Clyde Sea Sill	To conserve, recover – black guillemot	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
East Caithness Cliffs	To conserve	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Fetlar to Haroldswick	To conserve, recover – black guillemot	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Loch Carron	To conserve, recover– flame shell beds	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Loch Creran	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes

		A	B	C	D
NCMPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented andspatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring inplace?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Loch Sunart	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial
Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Loch Sween	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Monach Isles	To conserve, recover – black guillemot	Yes	Partial	Partial	No
Mousa to Boddam	To conserve	Yes	Yes	No	Unkown
North-east Lewis	To conserve	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Noss Head	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Papa Westray	To conserve	Partial	Partial	Partial	No

		A	B	C	D
NCMPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented andspatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Red Rocks and Longay	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Sea of the Hebrides	To conserve	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Shiant East Bank	To conserve	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Small Isles	To conserve, recover – black guillemot	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
South Arran	To conserve, recover– maerl beds	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial
Southern Trench	To conserve	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil	To conserve, recover– flame shell beds	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial
Wester Ross	To conserve, recover – flame shell beds, maerl beds	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial
Wyre and Rousay Sounds	To conserve	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes

Table 5.4: Progress towards MPA objectives and management effectiveness for the inshore SACs (47 sites).

A: Conservation and Management Advice (CMAs) and other associated MPA documents can be found on Sitelink. Spatial information for protected features is viewable on NationalMarinePlanInteractiveand downloadable from NatureScotOpenDataHub.

B: For all sites, impacts of marine licensable activities are regulated through the marine licensing process and assessed against the conservation objectives. In 2025, a consultation for management measures is planned for 21 sites.

C: Future monitoring programmes will be determined and delivered through the Scottish MPA Monitoring Strategy.

		A	B	C	D
MPA – SAC *Crossboundary sites–England	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Ardvar and Loch a' Mhuilinn Woodlands	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Ascrib, Isay and Dunvegan	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes
Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast *	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Dornoch Firth and Morrich More	To maintain, restore – Reef, harbour seal	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Durness	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
East Mingulay	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA –SAC *Crossboundary sites–England	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Eileanan agus Sgeiran Lios mór	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes
Faray and Holm of Faray	To maintain, restore – harbour seal	Partial	Partial	Yes	No
Firth of Lorn	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Unknown
Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Unknown
Glen Beasdale	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Hascosay	To maintain, restore – otter	Yes	Partial	Yes	No
Inner Hebrides and the Minches	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Inverpolly	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Isle of May	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA –SAC *Crossboundary sites–England	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Kinloch and Kyleakin Hills	To maintain	Partial	Yes	Partial	Yes
Loch Creran	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	No
Loch Laxford	To maintain, restore – reef	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Loch Moidart and Loch Shiel Woods	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Loch nam Madadh	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Loch of Stenness	To maintain	Yes	Yes	No	Unknown
Loch Roag Lagoons	To maintain	Partial	Yes	No	Unknown
Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh Reefs	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Unknown
Luce Bay and Sands	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes

		A	B	C	D
MPA –SAC *Crossboundary sites–England	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Mòine Mhór	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Monach Islands	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes
Moray Firth	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Mousa	To maintain, restore – harbour seal	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Mull Oakwoods	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
North Rona	To maintain, restore – harbour seal	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Obain Loch Euphoirt	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Papa Stour	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Unknown
Rum	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA –SAC *Crossboundary sites–England	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Sanday	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Unknown
Solway Firth *	To maintain	Partial	Partial	Partial	Unknown
Sound of Arisaig (Loch Ailort to Loch Ceann Traigh)	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Sound of Barra	To maintain, restore – subtidal sandbanks	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
South Uist Machair	To maintain	Partial	Yes	Partial	Partial
South-East Islay Skerries	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Yes	Yes
St Kilda	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Yes
Sullom Voe	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Unknown
Sunart	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA –SAC *Crossboundary sites–England	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Taynish and Knapdale Woods	To maintain	Partial	Yes	Partial	Yes
Tayvallich Juniper and Coast	To maintain	Partial	Yes	Partial	Yes
The Vadills	To maintain	Yes	Yes	No	Unknown
Treshnish Isles	To maintain	Yes	Yes	Partial	Partial
Yell Sound Coast	To maintain, restore – harbour seal, otter	Yes	Partial	Yes	No

Table 5.5: Progress towards MPA objectives/management effectiveness – Inshore – SPAs (58 sites).

Please see Table 5.1 for legend details. Some additional details for each component of MPA progress is below and the full assessment details can be found on NatureScot website.

B: For all sites, impacts of licensable activities are regulated through the marine licensing process and assessed against the conservation objectives. In 2025 a consultation on management measures for 44 of these sites is planned.

C: Future monitoring programmes will be determined and delivered through the Scottish MPA Monitoring Strategy.

Estuarine sites: There are 13 estuarine SPAs in the table where a feature is in unfavourable condition and work is underway to update conservation objectives documentation and will be considered as having a restore objective in the future.

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Ailsa Craig	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Herring gull, Lesser black- backed gull	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Bluemull and Colgrave Sounds	To maintain	Yes	Partial	No	Yes
Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Shag, Herring gull, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Calf of Eday	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Guillemot, Great black-backed gull	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Canna and Sanday	To maintain, restore – Guillemot, Shag, Herring gull	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Cape Wrath	To maintain, restore – Puffin, Kittiwake, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Coll and Tiree	To maintain	Yes	Partial	No	Yes
Copinsay	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Guillemot, Great black-backed gull	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Cromarty Firth (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Common tern, Scaup	Partial	Partial	No	Unknown
Dornoch Firth and Loch Fleet (estuarine site)	To maintain	Partial	Partial	Partial	Yes
East Caithness Cliffs	To maintain, restore – Cormorant, Shag, Great black-backed gull, Herring gull, Black guillemot	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
East Mainland Coast, Shetland	To maintain	Yes	Partial	No	Yes

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
East Sanday Coast	To maintain	Partial	Partial	Partial	Yes
Fair Isle	Tomaintain, restore – Arctic skua, Arctic tern, Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Shag, Razorbill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Fetlar	To maintain, restore – Arctic skua, Arctic tern, Great skua	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Firth of Forth (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Common scoter, Goldeneye, Great crested grebe, Knot, Long-tailed duck, Red-breasted merganser, Slavonian grebe, Scaup	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Common scoter, Goldeneye, Little tern, Long- tailed duck, Red-breasted merganser Velvet scoter	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Flannan Isles	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Guillemot, Leach's storm petrel, Fulmar, Razorbill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Forth Islands	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Common tern, European shag, Cormorant, Roseate tern, Sandwich tern	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Foula	To maintain, restore – Arctic tern, Arctic skua, Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Shag, Leach's storm petrel, Fulmar, Great skua, Razorbill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Fowlsheugh	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Herring gull, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Gruinart Flats, Islay (estuarine site)	To maintain	Partial	Partial	Partial	Yes
Handa	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Guillemot, Fulmar, Razorbill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented andspatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field	To maintain, restore – Guillemot, Kittiwake, Puffin, Red-throated diver, Great skua, Fulmar, Shag	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Hoy	Tomaintain, restore – Arctic skua, Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Great black-backed gull, Great skua, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Inner Clyde (estuarine site)	To maintain	Partial	Partial	Partial	Unknown
Inner Moray Firth (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Common tern, Cormorant, Goosander, Red-breasted merganser	Partial	Partial	No	Unknown
Marwick Head	Restore– Kittiwake, Guillemot	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Mingulay and Berneray	To maintain, restore – Puffin, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Shag	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Montrose Basin (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Knot	Partial	Yes	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Moray and Nairn Coast (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Bar-tailed godwit	Partial	Partial	Partial	No
Moray Firth	To maintain, restore – European shag, scaup, goldeneye, velvet scoter	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
North Caithness Cliffs	To maintain, restore – Puffin, Kittiwake	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
North Colonsay and Western Cliffs	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
North Orkney	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
North Rona and Sula Sgeir	To maintain, restore – Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Great black-backed gull, Leach's storm petrel, Fulmar, Razorbill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
North Uist Machair and Islands (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Ringed plover	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Noss	To maintain, restore – Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Great skua, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex (offshore/inshore site)	To maintain, restore – Common tern, European shag, Herring gull, Kittiwake	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Papa Stour (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Arctic tern	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Rousay	To maintain, restore – Arctic skua, Arctic tern, Kittiwake, Guillemot	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Rum	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Guillemot	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Scapa Flow	To maintain	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Seas off Foula (offshore/inshore site)	To maintain, restore – Arctic skua, Puffin, Guillemot, Great skua, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Seas off St Kilda (offshore/inshore site)	To maintain, restore – Puffin, Guillemot, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Sléibhtean agus Cladach Thiriodh (Tiree Wetlands and Coast) (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Ringed plover	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Solway Firth (Scotland/England site)	To maintain, restore – Bar-tailed godwit, Scaup, Grey plover, Knot, Turnstone, Curlew, Goldeneye	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial
Sound of Gigha	To maintain	Yes	Partial	No	Yes
South Uist Machair and Lochs (estuarine site)	To maintain, restore – Dunlin, Little tern, Ringed plover	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
St Abb's Head to Fast Castle	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, European shag, Herring gull	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
St Kilda	To maintain, restore – Puffin, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Fulmar, Great skua, Manx shearwater, Razorbill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Sule Skerry and Sule Stack	To maintain, restore – Shag, European storm petrel, Leach's storm petrel	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Sumburgh Head	To maintain, restore – Arctic tern, Kittiwake, Guillemot	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial

		A	B	C	D
MPA	Conservation objectives	Management isdocumented and spatial information available?	Measures implemented?	Monitoring in place?	Moving towards Conservation Objectives?
Shiant Isles	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Guillemot, Shag, Fulmar, razor bill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Troup, Pennan and Lion`s Heads	To maintain, restore – Kittiwake, Guillemot, Herring gull, Fulmar	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
West Coast of the Outer Hebrides	To maintain	Yes	Partial	No	Yes
West Westray	To maintain, restore – Arctic tern, Arctic skua, Kittiwake, Guillemot, Razorbill	Partial	Partial	Partial	Partial
Ythan Estuary, Sands of Forvie and Meikle Loch	To maintain, restore – Eider	Yes	Partial	Partial	Partial

Table 5.6: Progress towards purpose of the Demonstration and Research MPA

MPA Name	Purpose	Comments on progress
Fair Isle	To demonstrate and research the use of an ecosystem approach, which includes the following – (a) the environmental monitoring of seabirds and of other mobile marine species; (b) the environmental monitoring of the factors which influence the populations of seabirds and of other mobile species; (c) the development and implementation of a local sustainable shellfish fishery; (d) the development of a research programme into local fisheries which includes research on species composition, size, distribution and temporal and spatial changes in fish stocks; (e) based upon the research undertaken under sub-paragraph (d), the development of a sustainable-use management programme for local fisheries.	A number of priority projects and research topics are being delivered collaboratively with relevant partners. Of note, in 2024 FIMRO received substantial funding from the Shetland Islands Council, Coastal Communities Fund, to employ a Research Officer on a 3-year appointment.

MPA Name

Purpose

Comments on progress

Fair Isle

To demonstrate and research the use of an ecosystem approach, which includes the following –

(a) the environmental monitoring of seabirds and of other mobile marine species;
(b) the environmental monitoring of the factors which influence the populations of seabirds and of other mobile species;
(c) the development and implementation of a local sustainable shellfish fishery;
(d) the development of a research programme into local fisheries which includes research on species composition, size, distribution and temporal and spatial changes in fish stocks;
(e) based upon the research undertaken under sub-paragraph (d), the development of a sustainable-use management

programme for local fisheries.

A number of priority projects and research topics are being delivered collaboratively with relevant partners. Of note, in 2024 FIMRO received substantial funding from the Shetland Islands Council, Coastal Communities Fund, to employ a Research Officer on a 3-year appointment.

Table 5.7: Progress towards preservation objectives of Historic MPAs

MPAName	Preservation Objectives (PO)	CurrentIndicator	Trajectory insurvival/site condition
Campania	To minimise loss of the marine historic asset within the area	Survival estimated at 41-60%	Unknown It is not possible to assess the trend in site condition or survival since 2004 as a field assessment has not been made since then. The August 2004 monitoring report can be found online. In 2023 to 2024, Wessex Archaeology undertook a desk-based study involving archive research, analysis of geophysics data, and preparatory work to plan a future field assessment.
Campania	To minimise deterioration in site condition of the marine historic asset	Generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems
Dartmouth	To maintain the extent of survival of marine historic assets within the area	Survival estimated at 10-20%	Stable/declining A monitoring visit byCotswold Archaeology in 2014 identified evidence of a small extent of exposed hull structure around the main anchor which may lead to the degradation of the surviving hull.
Dartmouth	To maintain site condition of the marine historic asset	Optimum condition
Drumbeg	To maintain the extent of survival of marine historic assets in situ	Survival <20%	Stable The site condition of a marine historic asset with localised problems such as erosion is stable, provided the damage remains constant. Monitoring work by Wessex Archaeology was undertaken in September 2012.
Drumbeg	To maintain site condition of marine historic assets	Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems
Duart Point	To maintain site condition of the marine historic asset	Optimum condition	Stable/improving An inspection by Cotswold Archaeology in 2014 suggests that the site continues to be relatively stable and is infilling with sediment. Fixed penalty served 25/09/2019 in relation to reported illegal fishing activity. Work is underway by HES to replace the site warning sign overlooking the wreck to reflect Historic MPA status.
Duart Point	To maintain the extent of survival of the marine historic asset within the area	Survival 21-40%

MPA Name	Preservation Objectives (PO)	CurrentIndicator	Trajectory in survival/site condition
Iona I	To minimise loss of marine historic assets in situ	Survival 41-60%	Unknown It is not possible to assess the trend in site condition or survival since 2009 as a field assessment has not been made since then. The March 2009 monitoring report is available online.
Iona I	To minimise deterioration of site condition of marine historic assets	Extensive problems
Kinlochbervie	To maintain site condition of the marine historic asset	Generally satisfactory but with minor localised problems	Stable Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) inspection by Wessex Archaeology (2019) and Citizen Science report (2022) confirm no obvious changes but with some exposed ceramic fragments observed in the deeper part of the site.
Kinlochbervie	To maintain the extent of survival of the marine historic asset within the area	Survival <20%
Mingary	To maintain the extent of survival of the marine historic asset within the area	Survival unknown – (but on the basis of available evidence, thought likely to be <20%)	Stable Inspection by Cotswold Archaeology (December 2014) and Citizen Science Report (2015).
Mingary	To maintain site condition of the marine historic asset	Generally satisfactory but with minor localised problems

MPAName	Preservation Objectives(PO)	CurrentIndicator	Trajectory in survival/site condition
Out Skerries	To maintain the extent of survival of marine historic assets in-situ	Survival <20%	Stable i.e. the extent of survival/site condition of a marine historic asset(s) shows little or no sign of active deterioration either recent or mid-term. The site condition of a marine historic asset with localised problems such as erosion is stable, provided the damage remains constant. Monitoring and interventions since 2016 have addressed localised exposures of potentially vulnerable material at some locations on this site. In June 2014 Wessex Archaeology inspected both the wrecks of the Kennemerland and the Wrange ls Palais. In May to June 2016 Wessex Archaeology carried out a monitoring and artefact recording/recoveryoperation.
To maintain site condition of marine historic assets	Generally satisfactory but with minor localised problems

MPAName

Preservation Objectives(PO)

CurrentIndicator

Trajectory in survival/site condition

Out Skerries

To maintain the extent of survival of marine historic assets in-situ

Survival <20%

Stable

i.e. the extent of survival/site condition of a marine historic asset(s) shows little or no sign of active deterioration either recent or mid-term. The site condition of a marine historic asset with localised problems such as erosion is stable, provided the damage remains constant.

Monitoring and interventions since 2016 have addressed localised exposures of potentially vulnerable material at some locations on this site.

In June 2014 Wessex Archaeology inspected both the wrecks of the Kennemerland and the Wrange ls Palais.

In May to June 2016 Wessex Archaeology carried out a monitoring and artefact recording/recoveryoperation.

To maintain site condition of marine historic assets

Generally satisfactory but with minor localised problems

Contact

Email: marine_biodiversity@gov.scot

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