76 of these SACs are in
inshore waters, 5 are in
offshore waters. On
the land and in the sea out to 12 nautical miles the identification
of SACs is the responsibility of the country conservation agencies.
Beyond 12 nautical miles JNCC is responsible for the identification
of SACs.
There are
four marine habitats and
four marine species present in UK waters away
from the coast for which the European Commission has stated
that additional SACs must be designated. JNCC and the country
conservation agencies are currently working to identify additional
sites.
JNCC is liasing with other Member States
over international features for which SACs are
likely to be designated such as the Dogger Bank, which extends into
Dutch and
German waters, and Bassurelle Sandbank which lies primarily in
French waters.