SPAs with marine components
The Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) (as amended)
requires EU Member States to designate Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for the
conservation of species listed on Annex I to the Directive, and all
species of regularly occurring migratory birds.
Existing SPAs with marine components
A network of SPAs has already been established for Annex I
species and regularly occurring migratory species which make use of
important terrestrial and coastal sites in the UK, and some of
these existing SPAs have marine components. SPAs with marine
components are defined as those sites with qualifying Birds
Directive Annex I species or regularly occurring migratory species
that are dependent on the marine environment for all or part of
their lifecycle, where these species are found in association with
intertidal or subtidal habitats. A map of the 72 SPAs with marine
components in the UK and a list of
their marine interest features are available. GIS users
may also download
GIS boundary data for SPAs with marine components.
119
bird species make significant use of the marine
environment around the UK (and Gibraltar). In addition, the
following SPA habitat classes are considered marine as
they are covered (continuously or intermittently) by the sea:
- N01 Marine areas and Sea inlets;
- N02 Tidal rivers, Estuaries, Mud flats, Sand flats and
Lagoons (including saltwork basins).
- N03 Salt marshes, Salt pastures and Salt steppes;
Some coastal SPAs comprising 'N05 Shingle, Islets or Sea cliff
habitats' contain qualifying Birds Directive Annex I species or
regularly occurring migratory species that are dependent on the
marine environment. Many of these coastal SPAs do not, at present,
include significant intertidal or subtidal areas and therefore are
not considered to be ‘SPAs with marine components’. Contingent on
Government policy, these SPAs may be extended seawards to encompass
marine areas in the future.
Identification of further SPAs with marine
components
Although the UK has SPAs with marine components, to
date only one entirely marine SPA has been designated
in British waters; Bae Caerfyrddin/Carmarthen Bay SPA
(Wales) was classified in 2003 for its non-breeding aggregations of
common scoter. Work is currently underway by the JNCC and the
four country nature conservation agencies1 to
identify further SPAs with marine components that will comprise a
suite of entirely marine SPAs.
It is anticipated that the final suite will include sites
within both UK territorial and offshore waters.
JNCC is leading on the selection of sites within the
UK offshore
area (beyond 12nm of the coast). The identification of sites
that lie within territorial waters (within 12nm of the coast)
is the responsibility of the relevant country conservation agency,
although JNCC provide scientific advice on the identification of
these sites on their behalf.
A list of marine bird species for which entirely marine SPAs
are being considered is available. Sites are currently being
considered for these species within four main types of marine
SPA:
The work of JNCC in progressing marine SPA issues is carried out
by the JNCC's Marine SPA team, and is steered
by the Marine Natura Project Group, chaired by
independent JNCC Committee member Professor Lynda Warren. As
guidance and methods are devised we are consulting with
stakeholders and marine experts through consultation exercises
and/or relevant fora.
Marine SPA news
One way in which the Marine SPA team keeps stakeholders informed
of their work is through an electronic newsletter. If you
wish to subscribe to this, please send an email to
.
Previous Marine SPA newsletters:
July 2008
1. Marine extensions to existing
seabird breeding colony SPAs
All species of marine bird that breed in the UK have some of
their breeding sites protected via a network of breeding site SPAs
(the only exception is black guillemot, as it is not
considered migratory in the UK, nor is it listed on Annex 1). Such
protection is largely limited to land above mean low water (or mean
low water springs in Scotland). To identify those areas of the sea
adjacent to breeding colonies that are important to seabirds for
essential resting and maintenance activities, JNCC carried out
spatial analyses of data from survey work around seabird colonies
(McSorley et al. 2003).
Based on this work, JNCC has recommended appropriate
marine extensions to the boundaries of existing seabird colonies
that may be applied generically for certain species (Reid &
Webb 2005). To date, extensions into the sea of 1 km for
those SPAs for which common guillemot, razorbill and Atlantic
puffin are interest features, and 2 km for breeding northern gannet
and northern fulmar SPAs, have been recommended.
In addition, on the basis of radio-tracking of rafting Manx
shearwaters (McSorley et al. 2008), JNCC has recommended that
boundaries to existing SPAs for which this species is an interest
feature, should be extended seaward by at least 4km, and possibly
further where information suggests that this is appropriate.
As a result of JNCC's work, Scottish Natural Heritage is now
carrying out a
consultation
on behalf of the Scottish Government, on proposals to extend 31
existing seabird colony SPAs into the marine environment.
Further reading:
Reid J.B. and Webb A. 2005. Marine Natura 2000 -
recommendations for the extension of existing seabird colony
Special Protection Areas into the marine environment.
JNCC Committee paper 05 P14B.
McSorley, C.A., Dean, B.J., Webb, A & Reid, J.B (2003)
Seabird use of waters adjacent to colonies Implications for seaward
extensions to existing breeding seabird colony Special Protection
Areas.
JNCC Report No.
329.
McSorley, C.A., Webb, A., Dean, B.J., &
Reid, J.B. (2003). Generic guidelines for seaward extensions
to existing breeding northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis colony
Special Protection Areas. Unpublished JNCC Report,
Peterborough, UK.
McSorley, C.A., Wilson, L.J., Dunn, T.E.,
Gray, C., Dean B. J., Webb, A. and Reid, J.B. (2008). Manx
shearwater Puffinus puffinus evening rafts at Skomer, Rum
and Bardsey: Their spatial extent and implications for seaward
boundary extensions to existing qualifying colony Special
Protection Areas in the UK. JNCC Report No. 406 (not yet
available)
Extending
the boundaries of seabird breeding colony protected areas into the
marine environment
Poster presented by Claire McSorley and
Ben Dean at the Seabird Group Conference,
Aberdeen, March 2004 and the Waterbird Society Global
Flyways Conference, April 2004.
2. Inshore aggregations of non-breeding waterbirds
Outside the breeding season many areas of the UK’s inshore
waters are used by waterbirds (seaducks, divers and grebes) as
moulting and feeding areas, and also as migration staging
posts. JNCC in conjunction with the four country nature
conservation agencies, has compiled a list of 45 inshore areas
that are being considered in identifying possible SPAs for non
breeding inshore waterbirds.
This list of inshore areas has generated an
annual survey
programme that has been running since the winter of
2000-01, which aims to collect up-to-date, detailed data on
the distribution and abundance of inshore waterbirds using these
areas. To date, data have been collected in at least 29 of
these sites either by the JNCC (mainly Scottish sites), or the
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (other UK sites).
Distance sampling methods (Buckland et al. 2001) are being
applied to most of these data to estimate total population sizes of
the main target species using each survey area during the
non-breeding season. This informs whether each area qualifies
at Stage 1 of the
UK SPA Selection Guidelines as a possible
SPA. The next steps are to make recommendations on which
areas should be considered as possible SPAs (using both Stage 1 and
Stage 2 guidelines), as well as making scientifically based
recommendations on the positioning of appropriate boundaries for
such sites. JNCC's recommendations are based on population and
spatial analyses by the JNCC of data from the annual survey
programme and other sources.
Bae Caerfyrddin/Carmarthen Bay SPA
(Wales) was classified in 2003 for its wintering population of
common scoter: the first entirely marine SPA in Britain. JNCC
is currently reporting to Scottish Natural Heritage on several
sites including Scapa Flow, Moray Firth, Aberdeen Bay, Firth of
Forth, and Firth of Tay. In addition, JNCC is in discussion
with Natural England, Countryside Council for Wales, Defra and the
Welsh Assembly Government to address the SPA issue for England and
Wales, and in particular, Greater Thames and Liverpool Bay.
The current anticipated date for recommendations on this type
of marine SPA to be complete is 2012.
The aerial survey data collected as part of the work on
inshore SPAs has also allowed a re-assessment of the British
wintering population size of red-throated divers. Previously
the best estimate of this was 5,000, but WWT aerial surveys
highlighted the inaccuracy of this when they observed up to 11,000
individuals in just one area (the Greater Thames). The newly
revised estimate of the wintering population of this species, based
largely on aerial survey data, is now 17,000 birds (O'Brien et al.
2008). This more accurate estimate will help with the process of
identifying inshore SPAs for this species during the non-breeding
season.
Further reading:
Buckland, S.T., Anderson, R.R., Burnham, K.P., Laake, J.L.,
Borchers, D.L. & Thomas, L. (2001).
Introduction to
distance sampling: estimating abundance in biological
populations. T.J. International Ltd, Padstow,
Cornwall.
Webb, A, McSorley, CA, Dean BJ, Reid JB (2004)
Modelling the distribution and abundance of common scoter Melanitta
nigra in Carmarthen Bay in winter 2001/02: a method for identifying
potential boundaries for a marine Special Protection Area.
Unpublished JNCC Report No. 330
Webb, A, McSorley, C.A., Dean B.J, Reid.J.B., Cranswick P.A,
Smith, L., Hall, C. (2005) An assessment of the numbers and
distribution of inshore waterbirds using the Greater Thames during
the non-breeding season. Unpublished JNCC Report No.
374.
Webb, A, McSorley, C.A., Dean B.J, Reid.J.B., Cranswick P.A,
Smith, L., Hall, C. (2006) Dispersion patterns of inshore
waterbirds in Liverpool Bay in the non-breeding season.
JNCC Report No.
373
Webb, A, McSorley CA, Dean BJ & Reid JB. (2006)
Recommendations for the selection of and boundary options for an
SPA in Liverpool Bay.
JNCC Report No.
388
Söhle, I, McSorley, C., Dean, B.J, Webb, A & Reid, J.B
(2007) The numbers of inshore waterbirds using Tay Bay during the
non-breeding season, and an assessment of the area's potential for
qualification as a marine SPA.
JNCC Report No. 401
O’Brien, SH, Wilson, LJ, Webb, A and Cranswick, PA (2008).
Revised estimate of numbers of wintering Red-throated Divers
Gavia stellata in Great Britain.
Bird Study 55 (2) 152-160
3. Offshore aggregations of
seabirds
In this context, offshore areas include any area of open sea,
from close inshore to the limit of the UK fisheries limits.
Although this type of SPA is commonly referred to as ‘offshore’,
the analysis covers both offshore and inshore waters.
Clearly, it is a very large undertaking to identify important
hotspots for seabirds over this extensive area. However,
JNCC’s aim is to investigate the use of the existing European
Seabirds At Sea (ESAS) database as a possible tool for doing
so. This database hosts year-round data on the at-sea
distributions of all birds that occur in the waters of the
north-west European continental shelf. It contains around 2
million records collected over a period of almost 30 years.
The ESAS database is the most comprehensive set of data available
on the distribution and abundance of seabirds at sea in UK waters;
no new data collection is planned.
In 2007, JNCC commissioned a series of spatial
analyses of ESAS data, using a statistical method called
Poisson Kriging, and the results from this are currently being
analysed by JNCC to identify possible seabird hotspots. The current
anticipated date for recommendations on this type of marine SPA to
be complete is 2009.
Further reading:
A short summary of the offshore work
4. Other types of SPA
Some important areas for seabirds may not be captured by the
other three categories and will be considered
individually. Marine areas used by red-throated divers,
terns and shags during the breeding season are currently under
consideration.
Survey work is complete and analyses underway to investigate
areas used by red-throated divers during the breeding season.
This work will be based on habitat preference modelling, using data
from surveys, field observations and radio-tracking studies around
key breeding territories. The current anticipated date for
recommendations on this type of marine SPA to be complete is
2008.
Analyses are under way to investigate feeding areas for terns
(Sandwich tern, roseate tern, common tern, Arctic tern, and little
tern) around their colonies during the breeding season. This
work will be based largely on existing literature and boat survey
data, and may include habitat preference modelling. Work is
also planned to investigate feeding areas for European shags around
their colonies during the breeding season. The current
anticipated date for recommendations on these types of marine SPA
to be complete is 2011.
Although the surveys and analyses for the above work are
focussed around breeding colonies, possible SPAs identified during
this work may be disjunct from the breeding colonies.
Another type of important area not captured by the other three
categories of SPA is a migration hotspot, where seabirds occur as
part of their regular migrations, and which is usually
associated with some geographical feature such as a headland or
strait.
Further reading:
An entertaining snap-shot summary of fieldwork carried out
in 2007 in support of the SPA work on breeding red-throated
divers.
1 The four country nature conservation
agencies are Natural England (NE) (formally English Nature),
Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside (CNCC)
(Northern Ireland), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and the
Countryside Council for Wales (CCW)
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