Annex II Species SACs fully detached from the coast

 

Otter and river lamprey (or lampern) occur only in inshore and inland waters. Lamprey, sturgeon and shad are all rare in UK offshore waters and without regular places of occurrence. Loggerhead turtle is primarily a tropical and subtropical species which may wander into temperate waters and is recorded infrequently in UK waters. No sites 'essential to their life and reproduction' are likely to be identifiable for these Annex II species in waters away from the coast.

 

For the two seal species, coastal SACs have already been designated in the UK to protect breeding colonies and moulting and haul out sites, and three SACs have been designated for bottlenose dolphin within UK territorial waters. The UK currently has no proposed SACs for harbour porpoise.

 

The four marine species listed above are typically wide ranging in waters away from the coast, thus making it difficult to identify specific areas which may be deemed essential to their life and reproduction. Analysis of existing data for harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphin suggests it may not be possible to identify suitable SACs in UK offshore waters for these two species.  For the two seal species, analysis of data from recent tracking studies needs to be carried out to determine if JNCC are able to identify sites for these animals whilst they are at sea. This analysis is likely to be completed in 2008.