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Marine Protected Areas

Scotland (along with the rest of the UK) has designated a number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which include Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas  (SPAs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest  (SSSIs) and Ramsar sites . The term "MPA" can be used for several different types of protected areas within the marine environment.

The Marine (Scotland) Act external site has established a new power for Marine Protected Areas in the seas around Scotland, to recognise features of national importance and meet international commitments for developing a network of MPAs.  This complements the MPA power introduced through the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act for offshore waters around Scotland.

Why have new MPAs?

MPAs are an important mechanism for protecting Scotland's seas.  They are one way of helping us to achieve the Government's vision of 'clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas'. Scotland has international commitments to establish an ecologically coherent network of MPAs under OSPAR and the World Summit on Sustainable Development external site . Together with existing Natura sites, the new MPA power will help Scotland to meet these commitments. A network of well-managed MPAs will, alongside other management measures, underpin our future use of the seas around Scotland.

What will MPAs do?

The Act allows for three different types of MPAs to be set up:

  • Nature Conservation MPAs
  • Demonstration and Research MPAs
  • Historic MPAs

MPAs will protect important marine habitats and wildlife, geology and geomorphology, as well as features of cultural importance such as shipwrecks and submerged landscapes.  The Act also allows local communities to put forward proposals for Nature Conservation and Demonstration and Research MPAs.

What is Scottish Natural Heritage's role?

Through the Scottish MPA Project we will provide guidance and technical advice to Marine Scotland external site  on the selection of Nature Conservation MPAs and the development of an ecologically coherent MPA network.  In some cases we will also provide advice on Demonstration and Research MPAs.  It will then be for Scottish Ministers to decide which sites to designate as MPAs.

Once the MPAs are set up, we will provide advice on Nature Conservation and on some Demonstration and Research MPAs.  This may include advice on how the conservation objectives of an MPA may be achieved and on ways to avoid damaging a protected feature.

Next steps

Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines external site setting out the approach that will be taken when selecting MPAs in the seas around Scotland have now been published and the first national application of the guidelines is taking place during autumn 2011. We are also currently working with partners and stakeholders to produce guidelines for the future management of MPAs.

A series of national stakeholder workshops is underway to explain the MPA selection process, how data are being used to inform this, and the role of stakeholders in the process, including through the development of third-party proposals.

A second programme of MPA-related surveys began in June 2011, following on from the successful 2010 survey work which confirmed the quantity, quality and distribution of a number of marine features of conservation importance.

More information about this work and other MPA related projects is available on our Scottish MPA Project page.

Further Information

More information on Scotland's important marine habitats and wildlife is available under coasts and seas and Priority Marine Features .