SPAs with marine components
Special Protection Areas (SPAs) aim to protect areas on land and at sea which are important for vulnerable bird species. Together with SPAs from other European countries, the UK SPAs form a co-ordinated network of bird protection areas across Europe.
In the UK, the suite of SPAs on land is well established, however, at sea the work to set up ‘SPAs with marine components’ is still ongoing. While there are already many SPAs in inshore waters including for example some seabird colony SPAs with seaward extensions, only a few stretch into offshore waters, beyond the territorial sea limit (see the list of SPAs with marine components).
SPAs with ‘marine components’ protect qualifying Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) Annex I species or regularly occurring migratory species that are dependent on the marine environment for all or part of their life-cycle, where these species are found in association with intertidal or subtidal habitats within the site. Sixty bird species are currently protected in UK SPAs with marine components. There are currently 112 SPAs with marine components in UK waters, protecting internationally important estuaries, stretches of coastline and areas of open sea. SPAs with marine components are displayed on the MPA mapper and a list of these sites, their qualifying bird species and site boundaries are available on JNCC's Resource Hub.
JNCC's role
JNCC is responsible identifying and recommending SPAs in the UK offshore marine area, which would be protected under the European Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds (codified version), also known as the ‘Birds Directive’. In UK offshore waters, the Directive is put into action through the Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, other regulations apply in inshore waters.
Of the 112 SPAs with marine components in the UK, five fall wholly or partly in UK offshore waters. An overview of these SPAs is provided in the table below, with links to further information on individual sites and their protected features included.
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SPA |
Protected Species |
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Skomer, Skokholm and the Seas off Pembrokeshire/ Sgomer, Sgogwm a Moroedd Penfro SPA |
European storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus Red-billed chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Short-eared owl Asio flammeus Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus Seabird assemblage |
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Red-throated diver Gavia stellata Common tern Sterna hirundo Little tern Sternula albifrons |
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Red-throated diver Gavia stellata Little gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Common scoter Melanitta nigra Little tern Sternula albifrons Common tern Sterna hirundo Waterbird assemblage |
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Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus |
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Red-throated diver Gavia stellata Little gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Common scoter Melanitta nigra Sandwich tern Sterna sandvicencis Little tern Sternula albifrons Common tern Sterna hirundo |
Site Selection and Classification process
To find important areas which could be considered to become SPAs in UK waters, JNCC and the other country nature conservation bodies (CNCBs) follow a clear site selection process. Of all marine areas considered in this process, only those meeting the UK SPA Site Selection guidelines can become SPAs. Once an area has been identified following this process and meeting the guidelines, JNCC and the other CNCBs recommend to government that it should become an SPA. While government considers this step, the area is called a potential/proposed SPA (pSPA) and provisionally it is afforded protection until a final decision is made. If the government decides to follow the recommendation and to classify the area, it will become immediately an SPA and protection will continue to be in place.
Management
Management within SPAs seeks to avoid adverse effects on the protected birds from human activities. All activities within the site, or outside the site, should be managed in such a way as to minimise disturbance and death of the protected birds, or of the habitat and food organisms which are important for them.
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