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Marine Consultation Areas

A Marine Consultation Area (MCA) is a non-statutory badge - an accolade introduced in the late 1980s to highlight Scottish Natural Heritage's nature conservation priorities in the nearshore marine environment.  The designation recognised high quality and sensitive marine habitats and species and was prompted by emerging development pressures (primarily aquaculture) around the Scottish coastline at that time.  The areas were, and continue to be, brought to the attention of bodies which Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) advises on marine conservation issues (Marine Scotland, developers, and others).

Implementation of MCAs

  • 1986 - an initial fourteen MCAs identified
  • 1990 - a further 15 MCAs; details of all sites published - MCAs: Scotland
  • 2002 - Scottish Natural Heritage review of MCAs and a revised list issued - current MCAs 

The role of MCAs and the overlap with Natura sites

The MCA designation has served an important management role, initially in the absence of a formal nature conservation designation below low water (such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest on land). This role continues despite the introduction of European legislation that has led to the formation of a new suite of marine Natura sites within Scottish waters (Special areas of Conservation - SAC - and Special Protection Areas -SPA). Some marine SACs and MCAs overlap - as perhaps they should!  However, SACs can only be identified for a limited number of marine habitats and species and it is widely recognised that they do not afford protection to some important national interests.  MCAs continue to play an important role in this respect.

Future Role of MCAs

The Scottish Marine Bill is expected to introduce a system of marine planning within Scottish waters and introduce a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) power. To underpin those new requirements we are currently identifying the most important components of Scotland's marine biodiversity (through the Marine 'Priority Features' work), and improving our knowledge about the location and distribution of important biodiversity and geodiversity features (DEFRA datalayers project). The results of these projects will support the identification of new MPAs. They will also highlight broader areas of conservation interest which, if identified in new marine plans, could eventually supersede the role currently played by MCAs.