Proposed site-specific management measures for SPAs that informed Option 1
Proposed site-specific management measures for Special Protection Areas (SPAs) 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.
The following data has been made available: Proposed site-specific management measures for SPAs 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
SPAs - which are protected areas for wild birds listed in Annex 1 of the EU Wild Birds Directive, or for regularly occurring migratory species.
They are selected using the UK SPA Selection Guidelines, and in Scotland they are classified under the Birds Directive through the following domestic legislation:
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) – applies to terrestrial and inshore waters (0–12 nm).
- The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended in Scotland) – provides the regulatory mechanism for SPA classification and protection within Scottish inshore 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.
