In Scotland, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are areas of sea defined so as to protect to habitats, wildlife, geology, undersea landforms, historic shipwrecks, and to demonstrate sustainable management of the sea. As of December 2020, approximately 37% of Scotland's seas are covered by the Scottish MPA network, which comprises 244 sites in total.[1]
The legal framework for designating MPAs depends on the designation: for example SSSIs are designated under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.[8] Where not designated under other conservation legislation MPAs are designated under one of two acts of parliament, depending on their location:
Sites are designated as MPAs under these acts for one of three purposes:[11]
Nature Conservation MPAs are defined to protect biodiversity
Historical MPAs are used to protect sites such as marine wrecks and artefacts
One Demonstration and Research MPA has been defined to test novel approaches to marine management
In addition to the statutory MPAs, five sites are recognised as forming part of the Scottish MPA network, being categorised as "other area based measures": such areas, although not specifically created for nature conservation purposes, are considered to contribute to the protection of marine biodiversity. The makeup of the network as of December 2020 is detailed in the table below:[3]
The lead body for management of the MPAs is Marine Scotland. For nature conservation sites within territorial waters NatureScot is responsible for developing the network and providing scientific advice to Scottish Government on the selection of sites, and providing advice to Marine Scotland on management once sites are designated. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee fulfils this role for sites in offshore waters, and also has a coordinating role for nature conservation in all the UK's offshore waters.[8]Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for historic MPAs.[12]
Activities undertaken in an MPA can be managed through voluntary measures, or by implementation of Marine Conservation Orders or Inshore Fishing Orders. Management measures (such as restrictions on the type of fishing gear that can be used) may be in place for all or part of an MPA, and may only apply at certain times of year.[11] Environmental groups have criticised the government for failing to enforce fishing rules around MPAs.[13]
List of MPAsedit
These tables list those MPAs not covered by other designations (i.e. excluding SACs, SPAs, and SSSIs etc.) as of December 2020.[14][15]
There is one Demonstration and Research MPA, in the waters surrounding Fair Isle. The MPA was designated on 9 November 2016.[68] The aims of this MPA designation are defined as being:
To demonstrate and research the use of an ecosystem approach, which includes the following -
a) the environmental monitoring of seabirds and of other mobile marine species;
b) the environmental monitoring of the factors which influence the populations of seabirds and of other mobile species;
c) the development and implementation of a local sustainable shellfish fishery;
d) the development of a research programme into local fisheries which includes research on species composition, size, distribution and temporal and spatial changes in fish stocks;
e) based upon the research undertaken under sub-paragraph (d), the development of a sustainable-use management programme for local fisheries.
Two further Historic MPAs are also proposed as of 2020, with an Historic Environment Scotland consultation exercise having closed on 27 November.[71] The two proposed sites are:[72]
"Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report" (PDF). Scottish Government. December 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
Citationsedit
^"Scotland's Marine Protected Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
^"Plan to give Loch Carron permanent protection". BBC. 2018-03-21. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
^ ab"Scotland's Marine Protected Area Network". NatureScot. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
^Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 11.
^Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 32.
^"New sites given special status to protect marine life". BBC. 3 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
^"2019 possible Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas consultation". NatureScot. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
^ ab"Different types of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scotland" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
^Scottish MPA network - Parliamentary Report. p. 5.
^Javier González-Álvarez (November 2012). "Valuing the Benefits of Designating a Network of Scottish MPAs in Territorial and Offshore Waters" (PDF). p. 3. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
^ ab"Possible Marine Protected Area Consultation - Frequently Asked Questions" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. June 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
^"Scotland's Historic Marine Protected Areas". Historic Environment Scotland. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
^"Fines to rogue fishermen fall and illegal fishing escapes prosecution". The Ferret. 2019-10-06. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
^"SiteLink". NatureScot. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
^"Search". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 16 August 2019.