Publication - Impact assessment
Ythan Estuary, Sands of Forvie and Meikle Loch (extension) Special Protection Area: BRIA
Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) of classifying the Ythan Estuary, Sands of Forvie and Meikle Loch (extension) Special Protection Area.
Appendix A - Ecosystem Services Benefits, Ythan Estuary SPA (marine extension)
| Summary of Ecosystem Services Benefits arising from Classification of the Site as an SPA | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services | Relevance to Site | Baseline Level | Estimated Impacts of Classification | Value Weighting | Scale of Benefits | Confidence | ||
| Lower | Intermediate | Upper | ||||||
| Fish for human consumption | Moderate, benthic habitats contribute to the food web | Stocks not at MSY | Nil | Low, small increase in fish stocks possible | Low | Minimal - Low | Moderate | |
| Fish for non-human consumption | Stocks reduced from potential maximum | |||||||
| Gas and climate regulation | Minimal, in coastal areas | Minimal | Nil | Low | Nil | High | ||
| Non-use value of natural environment | Moderate, bird species, and contribution of the site to MPA network | Non-use value of the site may decline | Minimal | Low, maintain features of site | Low - Moderate, protection of features of site from decline, and/or allowing some recovery, but some of site already protected | Moderate, range of features contributes to maintaining biodiversity, and have non-use value (Jacobs et al. 2004). | Low - Moderate | Moderate, responses of features to management measures, and value to society, uncertain |
| Recreation | Moderate - High, wildlife tourism and recreation at site (Jacobs et al. 2004). | Recreation value of the site may decline | Minimal, protection of features of site | Low - Moderate, protection of features of site that contribute to recreation, possibly allowing some recovery | Moderate, recreation and tourism support jobs, but substitutes are available. | Low - Moderate. | Moderate, significance of change from management measures uncertain. | |
| Research and Education | Moderate, features have research value, but there are substitutes | Value of site may decline | Minimal | Low, protection maintains future research opportunities. Classification may play role in communicating management needs. | Low, for individual features. Moderate for opportunity to understand response of range of features to management. | Low | Low – Moderate, extent to which research uses site in future uncertain. | |
| Total value of changes in ecosystem services | Minimal for lower scenario, Low for intermediate scenario, Moderate for upper scenario, mainly based on non-use values (Jacobs et al. 2004) | Low - Moderate | Low | |||||
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Email: marine_conservation@gov.scot
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