Planning Scotland's Seas: 2013 - Possible Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas Consultation Overview Sustainability Appraisal

2.0 2013 Possible Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas Consultation Overview

Introduction

2.1 As noted in the introduction, the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 both contain powers to designate Marine Protected Areas ( MPAs). These contribute to a range of measures to manage and protect Scotland's seas for current and future generations. The legislation also requires that a network of MPAs in UK seas is created to protect biodiversity and geodiversity. The network will contribute to agreements with international partners to create an ecologically coherent network of well-managed MPAs in the north-east Atlantic. The key overall objective of the MPA network is to safeguard the most important natural and cultural heritage features in Scottish waters, based on the principle of sustainable use ^[3] .

The Possible MPAs

2.2 Marine Scotland is working in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage ( SNH), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee ( JNCC), the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA) and Historic Scotland ( HS). SNH and JNCC have provided joint scientific advice (as statutory nature conservation bodies) on existing protected areas and other area-based measures that contribute to the network and have identified possible Nature Conservation MPAs that could form part of a network to protect biodiversity and geodiversity ^[4] . A significant part of the work underlying this advice has been based around ensuring that network and feature coverage satisfies the OSPAR principles of developing an ecologically coherent network.

2.3 Thirty-three possible Nature Conservation MPAs have been identified, and a further four MPA search locations remain to be fully assessed ( Table 1 and Figure 2). The evolving MPA network in Scotland's seas builds on the existing network of protected areas ( Figure 3), which includes Special Areas of Conservation ( SACs); Special Protection Areas ( SPAs); Sites of Special Scientific Interest ( SSSIs), and fisheries management areas. More information on these other designations and sites is provided in the SNH/ JNCC advice4.

2.4 Details of the protected features for each pMPA are provided in Table 2.

Table 1. Possible Nature Conservation MPAs and MPA search locations (*) in Scottish waters (by sea area)

OSPAR Region(s)	Possible MPA/ MPA search location	Code	Territorial / Offshore
I	Faroe-Shetland sponge belt	FSS	Offshore
I & II	North-east Faroe Shetland Channel	NEF	Offshore
II	Central Fladen	CFL	Offshore
	East Caithness Cliffs	ECC	Territorial
	East of Gannet and Montrose Fields	EGM	Offshore
	Fetlar to Haroldswick	FTH	Territorial
	Firth of Forth Banks Complex	FOF	Offshore
	Mousa to Boddam	MTB	Territorial
	North-west Orkney	NWO	Both
	Norwegian boundary sediment plain	NSP	Offshore
	Noss Head	NOH	Territorial
	Papa Westray	PWY	Territorial
	South-east Fladen	SEF	Offshore
	Southern Trench*	STR	Territorial
	Turbot Bank	TBB	Offshore
	Western Fladen	WFL	Offshore
	Wyre and Rousay Sounds	WYR	Territorial
II & III	West Shetland Shelf	WSS	Offshore
III	Clyde Sea Sill	CSS	Territorial
	Eye Peninsula to Butt of Lewis*	EPL	Territorial
	Loch Creran	LCR	Territorial
	Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh	DLA	Territorial
	Loch Sunart	LSU	Territorial
	Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura	SJU	Territorial
	Loch Sween	LSW	Territorial
	Monach Isles	MOI	Territorial
	North-west sea lochs and Summer Isles	NWS	Territorial
	Shiant East Bank*	SEB	Territorial
	Skye to Mull*	STM	Territorial
	Small Isles	SMI	Territorial
	South Arran	ARR	Territorial
	Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil	LFG	Territorial
III & V	Geike Slide and Hebridean Slope	GSH	Offshore
	South-west Sula Sgeir and Hebridean Slope	SSH	Offshore
	The Barra Fan and Hebrides Terrace Seamount	BHT	Offshore
V	Hatton-Rockall Basin	HRB	Offshore
	Rosemary Bank Seamount	RBS	Offshore

Figure 2. Possible Nature Conservation MPAs and search locations in Scotland's seas

Figure 3. The contribution of existing protected areas and other area-based measures to the MPA network

Table 2. Protected Features - Biodiversity and Geodiversity - for each pMPA

Name	Code	Protected features	Conservation objective
Territorial waters
Clyde Sea Sill	CSS	Biodiversity protected features - Black guillemot; circalittoral sand and coarse sediment communities; fronts Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed - sand banks, sand ribbon fields, sand wave fields	conserve
East Caithness Cliffs	ECC	Biodiversity protected features - Black guillemot	conserve
Fetlar to Haroldswick	FTH	Biodiversity protected features - Black guillemot; circalittoral sand and coarse sediment communities; horse mussel beds; kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediments; maerl beds; shallow tide-swept coarse sands with burrowing bivalves Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed	conserve
Loch Creran	LCR	Biodiversity protected features - Flame shell beds Geodiversity protected features - Quaternary of Scotland	conserve
Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh	DLA	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud, flame shell beds	conserve
Loch Sunart	LSU	Biodiversity protected features - Flame shell beds; northern feather star aggregations on mixed substrata; serpulid aggregations	conserve
Loch Sunart to the Sound of Jura	SJU	Biodiversity protected features - Common skate Geodiversity protected features - Quaternary of Scotland	conserve
Loch Sween	LSW	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud; maerl beds; native oysters; sublittoral mud and mixed sediment communities	conserve
Monach Isles	MOI	Biodiversity protected features - Black guillemot Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed; Quaternary of Scotland - landscape of areal glacial scour	conserve
Mousa to Boddam	MTB	Biodiversity protected features - Sandeels Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed	conserve
North-west sea lochs and Summer Isles	NWS	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud; circalittoral muddy sand communities; flame shell beds; kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediments; maerl beds; maerl or coarse shell gravel with burrowing sea cucumbers; northern feather star aggregations on mixed substrata Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed - banks of unknown substrate; Quaternary of Scotland - glaciated channels/troughs, megascale glacial lineations, moraines; Seabed Fluid and Gas Seep - pockmarks; Submarine Mass Movement - slide scars	recover flame shell beds and maerl beds conserve other features
Noss Head	NOH	Biodiversity protected features - Horse mussel beds	conserve
Papa Westray	PWY	Biodiversity protected features - Black guillemot Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed - sand wave field	conserve
Small Isles	SMI	Biodiversity protected features - Black guillemot; burrowed mud, circalittoral sand and mud communities; fan mussel aggregations; horse mussel beds; northern feather star aggregations on mixed substrata; northern sea fan and sponge communities; shelf deeps; white cluster anemones Geodiversity protected features - Quaternary of Scotland - glaciated channels/troughs, glacial lineations, meltwater channels, moraines, rock basins, streamlined bedforms	conserve
South Arran	ARR	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud; herring spawning grounds; kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediments; maerl beds; maerl or coarse shell gravel with burrowing sea cucumbers; ocean quahog; seagrass beds; shallow tide-swept coarse sands with burrowing bivalves	recover maerl beds conserve other features
Upper Loch Fyne and Loch Goil	LFG	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud; flame shell beds; horse mussel beds; ocean quahog; sublittoral mud and mixed sediment communities	recover flame shell beds conserve other features
Wyre and Rousay Sounds	WYR	Biodiversity protected features - Kelp and seaweed communities on sublittoral sediment; maerl beds Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed	conserve
Offshore waters
Central Fladen	CFL	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud Geodiversity protected features - Quaternary of Scotland - sub-glacial tunnel valley	conserve
East of Gannet and Montrose Fields	EGM	Biodiversity protected features - Ocean quahog aggregations (including sands and gravels as their supporting habitat); offshore deep sea muds	conserve
Faroe-Shetland sponge belt	FSS	Biodiversity protected features - Continental slope; deep-sea sponge aggregations; ocean quahog aggregations; offshore subtidal sands and gravels Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed - sand wave field, sediment wave field; Quaternary of Scotland - continental slope channels; iceberg ploughmark fields, prograding wedges; Submarine Mass Movement - slide deposits	conserve
Firth of Forth Banks Complex	FOF	Biodiversity protected features - Ocean quahog aggregations; offshore subtidal sands and gravels; shelf banks and mounds Geodiversity protected features - Quaternary of Scotland - moraines	conserve
Geikie Slide and Hebridean slope	GSH	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud; continental slope; offshore deep-sea muds, offshore subtidal sands and gravels Geodiversity protected features - Submarine Mass Movement - slide deposits, slide scars	conserve
Hatton-Rockall Basin	HRB	Biodiversity protected features - Deep-sea sponge aggregations; offshore deep-sea muds Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed - sediment drifts; Polygonal fault systems	conserve
North-east Faroe Shetland Channel	NEF	Biodiversity protected features - Continental slope; deep-sea sponge aggregations; offshore deep-sea muds; offshore subtidal sands and gravels Geodiversity protected features - Cenozoic Structures of the Atlantic Margin - mud diapirs; Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed - contourite sand/silt; Quaternary of Scotland - prograding wedge; Submarine Mass Movement - slide deposits	conserve
North-west Orkney	NWO	Biodiversity protected features - Sandeels Geodiversity protected features - Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Shelf Seabed - sand bank, sand wave field, sediment wave fields	conserve
Norwegian boundary sediment plain	NSP	Biodiversity protected features - Ocean quahog aggregations (including sands and gravels as their supporting habitat), offshore subtidal sands and gravels	conserve
Rosemary Bank Seamount	RBS	Biodiversity protected features - Deep-sea sponge aggregations; seamount features; seamount communities Geodiversity protected features - Cenozoic Structures of the Atlantic Margin - Rosemary Bank Seamount; Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed - scour moats, sediment drifts, sediment wave fields; Quaternary of Scotland - iceberg ploughmark field; Submarine Mass Movement - slide scars	conserve
South-east Fladen	SEF	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud Geodiversity protected features - Seabed Fluid and Gas Seep - pockmarks	conserve
South-west Sula Sgeir and Hebridean slope	SSH	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud; continental slope; offshore deep-sea muds; offshore subtidal sands and gravels Geodiversity protected features - Quaternary of Scotland - iceberg ploughmark fields, prograding wedges; Submarine Mass Movement - slide deposits	conserve
The Barra Fan and Hebrides Terrace Seamount	BHT	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud; continental slope; offshore deep-sea muds; offshore subtidal sands and gravels; orange roughy; seamount; seamount communities Geodiversity protected features - Cenozoic Structures of the Atlantic Margin - continental slope, Hebrides Terrace Seamount; Marine Geomorphology of the Scottish Deep Ocean Seabed - scour moat; Quaternary of Scotland - iceberg ploughmark field, prograding wedges; Submarine Mass Movement - continental slope turbidite canyons, slide deposits	conserve
Turbot Bank	TBB	Biodiversity protected features - Sandeels, offshore subtidal sands and gravels, shelf banks and mounds	conserve
West Shetland Shelf	WSS	Biodiversity protected features - Offshore subtidal sands and gravels	conserve
Western Fladen	WFL	Biodiversity protected features - Burrowed mud Geodiversity protected features - Quaternary of Scotland - sub-glacial tunnel valleys	conserve

2.5 The Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines ^[5] set out a five-stage process for the selection of Nature Conservation MPAs in Scotland's seas:

• Stage 1: Identification of search locations based on presence of key features
• Stage 2: Prioritisation of search locations based on the qualities of their features
• Stage 3: Assessment of the size an MPA needs to be, to be effective
• Stage 4: Assessment of the ability to manage features effectively
• Stage 5: Prioritising potential areas according to their contribution to the network

A full description of the process is set out in Marine Scotland's Report to the Scottish Parliament (2012)4.

2.6 The focus of the possible MPAs is to either:

• protect a range of biodiversity or geodiversity features in their current state for the future, or
• to allow them to recover to the state they should be to remain healthy and productive.

This is reflected in the conservation objective identified for each pMPA ( Table 2).

2.7 The MPAs will be managed to achieve their conservation objectives, using the principle of sustainable use. This means that only activities that present a risk of hindering the achievement of the conservation objectives will have specific management measures implemented.

2.8 Management options papers have been produced for each of the pMPAs. These papers use a risk-based approach to identify management options, based on the protected features, the conservation objectives, and the activities which could affect their condition. Management options are a key element of the consultation, which provides opportunities for stakeholders to present their views, including their practical environmental knowledge and activity data.

Alternatives

2.9 Some of the 33 possible MPAs provide science-based alternatives to the features of the recommended possible MPAs, and others would provide equivalent ecological value for the same combinations of features. Table 3 outlines the alternative options for the MPA network.

Table 3. Alternative options for the MPA network

Alternative Options	Description
South-West Sula Sgeir and Hebridean Slope or Geikie Slide and Hebridean Slope	The features within the South-west Sula Sgeir and Hebridean slope possible MPA, and the Geikie Slide Hebridean slope possible MPA are considered to offer an equivalent contribution to the MPA network. JNCC would recommend that only one of these two pMPAs needs to be designated to meet the MPA Selection Guidelines.
Central, Western or South-east Fladen	JNCC have identified science-based alternatives to the representation of one component of burrowed mud within the Central Fladen possible MPA. These are Western and Southeast Fladen. JNCC recommend that the southern part of the Central Fladen possible MPA would need to be designated - as a CFL(core) - as it represents a different component of burrowed mud. However, there are options around the representation of seapens and burrowing megafauna, and representation could come from including the rest of Central Fladen OR Western Fladen OR South-east Fladen. Central Fladen (core) would be designated under all options. The alternatives relate to the designation of the additional CFL area, which does not incorporate CFL (core) in this assessment.
Firth of Forth Banks Complex, Turbot Bank and Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain	Within the Firth of Forth Banks Complex, JNCC have identified science-based alternatives to the representation of: the ocean quahog - Norwegian Boundary Sediment Plain; and offshore subtidalsands and gravels and shelf banks and mounds - Turbot Bank. Turbot Bank is also identified in its own right for sandeels. There are therefore several scenarios: If Firth of Forth Banks Complex is not designated, then sands and gravels and shelf banks and mounds will need to be added to Turbot Bank as well as sandeels, and Norwegian boundary sediment plain will also need to be designated for ocean quahog; If Firth of Forth Banks Complex is designated, then Turbot Bank will be recommended for sandeels only and Norwegian boundary sediment plain will not required to be designated.

Historic MPAs

2.10 Scotland's first Historic Marine Protected Area ( HMPA) was designated on 18 March 2013, to protect an historic wreck close to the harbour of Drumbeg, Sutherland ( Figure 4). On the same day, Historic Scotland also launched a consultation to make the Drumbeg designation permanent, and to designate a further six HMPAs. These comprise historic wreck sites currently designated under section 1 of the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973.

2.11 In 2013-14, Historic Scotland is progressing consideration of an HMPA for Scapa Flow's outstanding underwater heritage. This involves review and transition to HMPA status for the seven intact wrecks of the German High Seas Fleet scuttled in Scapa Flow in 1919, currently scheduled monuments, and consideration of any other underwater sites relating to Scapa Flow's wartime naval heritage for inclusion in an HMPA proposal for consultation in 2014 ( Figure 4). A small number of other high priority sites may be considered for designation as HMPAs before 2015.

Figure 4. Historic MPAs (current and possible)