Proposed site-specific management measures for SACs that informed Option 1

Proposed site-specific management measures for Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) that informed Option 1 - Proposed Fisheries Management Measures for Inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas in Scottish Waters Consultation – 2026 

The proposed fisheries management measures have been developed individually for each designation, Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NCMPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACS) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) using the best available scientific evidence on the potential impacts of different types of fishing gear on protected features. The development of these measures involved significant engagement with stakeholders, including the fishing industry and environmental organisations. NCMPAs, SACs and SPAs can be collectively referred to as MPAs. The public consultation on proposed fisheries management measures includes 76 inshore MPAs, forming a key part of the collaborative policy development process. 

SACs - which are protected areas for habitats and species listed in the EU Habitats Directive, such as reefs and bottlenose dolphin. 

The EU Habitats Directive sets out a requirement for the designation of SACs to protect certain species and habitats listed in Annexes I and II. Since leaving the EU these requirements have been transposed into  regulations which cover Scotland’s land and seas;  

• The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 in relation to Scottish Territorial Waters.   

These site-specific management measures may differ from site information in the consultation documentation and on the consultation platform. We have amalgamated some proposed overlapping measures into the MPA maps and highlighted where other possible overlapping measures for specific gear types may occur. When looking at sites individually, where there is an overlap for specific gear types, it  would be the highest proposed measure that could apply in that overlap that would apply. We are hoping to have more intuitive layers available throughout consultation that would show individual polygons with all overlapping information included.