MPAs Scotland 

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 includes provisions to designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) for the following purposes inside 12 nautical miles:

• Nature Conservation MPAs – to help deliver national priorities on biodiversity and geodiversity ·        
• Demonstration and Research MPAs – to demonstrate, or develop research into, sustainable management approaches (territorial waters only) ·        
• Historic MPAs – to protect historic assets of national importance within territorial waters e.g. historic wrecks, remains of a prehistoric settlement

The UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 includes provisions for Scottish Ministers to designate MPAs for biodiversity and geodiversity features in offshore waters adjacent to Scotland.

How will they be designated?

Nature Conservation MPAs will be identified following a number of guidance principles:

1. Nature Conservation MPAs will be developed through a scientific process involving engagement with stakeholders. The best available science will be the primary consideration in the selection of sites with socio-economics being considered when ecological coherence of a network has been met.
2. The location of MPAs will be based on the presence of features to be protected and areas containing multiple features will be given priority.
3. The size of a Nature Conservation MPA will depend on what it is designed to protect and the requirements for management of activities.
4. Nature Conservation MPAs will only be used as a protection measure where they are the most appropriate tool to do so.
5. Management of MPAs should be integrated with wider marine management techniques such as marine planning.
6. In most situations, existing sectoral measures (such as fishery management measures) or marine planning are expected to be sufficient. Additional powers such as Marine Conservation Orders will only be used where necessary to support management of activities affecting MPAs.
7. As understanding improves and/or the environment changes, it may be necessary to designate additional MPAs, alter boundaries or even remove MPAs.    
8. Nature Conservation MPAs will be subject to a range of protection levels depending on the conservation objectives, management requirements of the protected features and socio-economic factors. There will be an assumption of multiple-use of a site, however, activities which are not compatible with the conservation objectives of the MPA will be restricted.

Demonstration and Research MPAs will be different and their application will not be restricted to having a nature conservation focus. They do not have to be located according to the presence of MPA features.  They are not intended to introduce restrictions on existing or normally sustainable activities – although they can be introduced if considered necessary to ensure the site objectives are met. The expectation is that Demonstration and Research MPAs will be time-limited and should only exist for as long as necessary to achieve the aims and objectives of the MPA.

At the time of writing Historic Scotland has not yet reported on the outcomes of the consultation on the designation of Historic MPAs.

What is the process and where has it got to?

The process of identifying Nature Conservation MPAs is well under way. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have been working with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to compile a list of habitats, species and geological features that need to be protected (known as MPA search features).

A gap analysis has identified which MPA search features are poorly represented within existing nature conservation areas e.g. Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest. MPAs are being identified to fill these gaps. The area involved is very large and extends west of Rockall and into the Faroe Shetland Channel. There are no Reference Areas.

How are stakeholders involved in the process?

In Scotland, MPA designation is being undertaken at a national level. The Marine Strategy Forum (which represents national marine interests) is the main forum for strategic level engagement. Further discussions with marine sectors will provide opportunities to discuss the designation process in more detail.

Stakeholders have been heavily involved at all stages in the process and five stakeholder workshops have already been held to consider particular aspects of the process.

These workshops have identified new sources of information and have also resulted in MPA search areas and their boundaries being modified. At the most recent workshop, four case studies were used to explore the mechanism for identifying appropriate management options.

What are the timescales involved?

In November 2012, JNCC and SNH submitted their formal advice on the selection of Nature Conservation MPAs for the development of the Scottish MPA network to Scottish Ministers and Marine Scotland. Scottish Ministers will consider the advice and decide which options to take forward for formal consultation in spring 2013. 

All proposals endorsed by the Scottish Ministers will be subject to a 12 week public consultation during which any member of the public can submit comments. Designation of sites will follow the consultation.

How is the RYA representing the interests of recreational boating?

RYA Scotland has developed a close working relationship with Marine Scotland (the body leading the MPA process on behalf of the Scottish Government) and Scottish Natural Heritage.

All five workshops have been attended and the views of the RYA and RYAS will be taken into consideration throughout the Scottish MPA process.

Many of the proposed MPAs are in water that is much too deep to affect recreational sailors and in other areas the features being protected are not affected by recreational craft. Work has been taking place with SNH to identify habitats that might be at risk from anchoring. Loch Creran has already provided a good example of how to protect vulnerable habitats without adversely affecting boating. However, initial mapping of anchorages has suggested that there will be few, if any, places where anchoring is a real risk to sensitive habitats.

RYA Scotland is working together with other marine recreation organisations in the Scottish Boating Alliance and with the associated cross-party Recreational Boating and Marine Tourism group of Ministers of Scottish Parliament.

Where can I find out more?

• Marine Scotland
• Scottish Natural Heritage