The Trust is delighted that the Scottish Government has created 30 new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) aimed at safeguarding the most important habitats and species in Scotland’s seas.
The protected sites range from vast offshore areas of the Firth of Forth Banks and the North-east Faroe Shetland Channel, to more familiar coastal areas such as East Caithness Cliffs and the sea lochs of Wester Ross.
With effective management in place, the new MPAs will mean seabed habitats from deep sea corals and sponges to shallow kelp forests and seagrass beds are allowed to thrive protected from damaging activities.
The decision by Scottish Ministers to designate the new MPAs comes after an overwhelming 99% of responses to a public consultation held during the summer of 2013 backed the proposal.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust campaigned for the designation of at least 29 of the 33 possible MPAs that went to public consultation and argued that this must include the unique habitats of an area known as the Firth of Forth Banks, which was presented as an optional site.
Advice to the Scottish Government on additional MPAs to protect whales, dolphins and basking sharks as well as a suite of draft Special Protected Areas (SPAs) for seabirds has also been published today. The advice outlines recommendations for 14 draft SPAs and 4 MPAs, including the Sea of Hebrides, an area between Skye and Mull, to protect minke whales, basking sharks and ocean fronts.
Marine Protected Areas are a globally tried and tested means of safeguarding precious marine life and the Trust believes that all the people of Scotland stand to benefit, particularly those whose livelihoods depend on healthy oceans.
Scottish Wildlife Trust Living Seas Policy Officer, Alex Kinninmonth, said: “This is a huge leap forward for nature conservation in Scotland. After many years of making a compelling case for better management of our seas, we are delighted to see these ambitious plans for marine protection. Each new MPA forms an important piece of a complex jigsaw that when complete will help turn the fortunes of our sea around.
“While today’s announcement is an important milestone, laying down lines on maps and declaring it a protected area will not automatically lead to the improvement required. Effective regulation and enforcement, together with the support of marine users are essential for these very special places to be safeguarded for future generations. The Scottish Wildlife Trust will work tirelessly to ensure that the Scottish Government delivers on its duty to complete a well-managed network of MPAs in Scottish seas.
“Additional to the designations, advice published today recommending the creation of a new Marine Protected Area for basking sharks in the Sea of Hebrides is particularly significant for the Trust. Ten years ago the Wildlife Trusts supported research that highlighted the waters around Coll, Tiree, Canna and the Hyskier islet as hotspots for basking shark activity, which was key to the area being considered for protected status. The Trust urges the Scottish Government to follow the advice and swiftly begin the process of designating this site as well as those to protect whales, dolphins and seabirds.”
Head of Living Seas at The Wildlife Trusts, Joan Edwards, said: “As Scotland’s waters make up over 60% of UK seas, this is a momentous day for anyone involved in UK marine conservation. Our marine wildlife does not respect country boundaries and designation of these sites will bring us a significant step closer to the comprehensive and ecologically coherent network of protected sites needed in the UK to help our marine life recover from years of neglect and decline”.
The 30 new Marine Protected Areas include:
Wester Ross MPA – encompassing the sea lochs west of Ullapool, home to amazing array of marine plants and animals.
Firth of Forth Banks Complex MPA – a unique and highly productive ecosystem rich in wildlife, including sandeels and the giant quahog, a type of large clam and one of the longest living animals on Earth.
North–east Faroe Shetland Channel MPA – an area of deep sea to the far north east of Scotland featuring productive habitats and is thought to be a corridor for migrating marine mammals, including the fin whale, and sperm whale.
East Caithness Cliffs MPA – the sea adjacent to sandstone cliffs between Wick and Helmsdale, an important breeding area for the black guillemot.
More information and a map of the new Marine Protected Areas is available here.
More information on the draft Special Protected Areas for seabirds can be found here