Other nature conservation designations on UK SACs

 

As described in Section 1.5, almost all SACs on land or freshwater sites are underpinned by one or more Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in England, Scotland and Wales, or Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) in Northern Ireland, notified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. A full list of component SSSIs/ASSIs is provided in the downloadable SAC summary data spreadsheet. Some SACs also coincide with or partly overlap one or more Special Protection Areas (SPAs) classified under the Birds Directive (79/409/EEC), and/or Ramsar sites designated under the international Convention on Wetlands of International Importance ('the Ramsar Convention').

Information on SSSIs/ASSIs can be obtained from the relevant statutory nature conservation agencies (the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Natural England (formally English Nature) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), together with the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) in Northern Ireland). Details of most SSSIs in England are available via Natural England ( www.english-nature.org.uk/special/sssi), in Scotland at www.snh.org.uk and for ASSIs in Northern Ireland at www.ehsni.gov.uk/natural/natural.shtml.

Information on UK SPAs and Ramsar sites can be obtained from JNCC. Further information on Ramsar sites can be obtained from the Ramsar Secretariat www.ramsar.org.