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Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs)
In Scotland, 14% of the land area is designated as NVZs. These are located in
Aberdeenshire, Moray, Banff and Buchan; Strathmore and Fife; Lothians and the
Borders; and Lower Nithsdale. The European Nitrates Directive 91/676/EEC requires
legally binding rules to be put in place for NVZs to reduce nitrate loss from agricultural
land when nitrate levels exceed, or are likely to exceed, the levels set in the Directive.
These rules are known as Action Programmes. Action Programme measures in NVZs
in Scotland require that a fertiliser and manure plan to assess N fertiliser requirement
for each crop and field is prepared and implemented; N must not be applied in excess
of crop need; organic manure applications must not exceed specified N limits; and
closed periods when slurry and poultry manure shall not be applied to any land
that has a sandy or shallow soil (Scottish Executive, 2003). SAC estimated in the
Regulatory Impact Assessment that these measures could reduce nitrate leaching in
the NVZs by up to 3,580 tonnes N/annum (Oglethorpe et al., 2002).
The Nitrates Directive requires the Action Programme to be reviewed periodically.
Ahead of the next review (2006), the European Commission has challenged the UK’s
implementation of the Nitrates Directive. The Commission has identified several
aspects of the existing Action Programme that it wishes the UK to address. The
major issues affect livestock farms, and relate to the farm-based limit on livestock
excretal returns; and the extension of the closed period for spreading slurry and
poultry manure with associated requirement for increased storage. The Commission
has also identified the need to be sure what the upper N fertiliser limits are and there
needs to be some maximum. The Scottish Executive is preparing a consultation
paper, expected in February 2006, proposing changes to the 2003 NVZ Action
Programme Regulations. Recent changes in economics including CAP reform have
already introduced changes to agricultural practice that on balance are expected to
reduce nitrate leaching independently of the provisions of the Action Programme. The
expected increase in conversion of arable land to extensively-managed, permanent
green cover; and the reductions in economic optimum N fertiliser requirement due to
higher N fertiliser costs and continuing low commodity price will also contribute.
Designated Bathing Waters
Faecal coliforms and faecal Streptococci from agriculture contribute too many of the
60 designated bathing waters in Scotland failing the EC Bathing Water standards,
especially in the South West of the country (Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway).
Merrilees et al. (2004) and Aitken et al. (2004) reported on a SEERAD-funded project
to deliver capital works measures and farm-specific BMPs to reduce the potential risk
of faecal indicator organism (FIO) contamination from livestock farms to rivers. Fortyeight
farms were surveyed in four sensitive river catchments draining into bathing
waters in the south, west and north coast of Scotland. FIO bacteria from farmland
potentially impacted all the rivers. Waste storage facilities, farming practices, field
conditions, grazing management and risks of FIO contamination to watercourses
were assessed on each farm and BMPs were designed, costed, implemented and
monitored. With only nine farms, Brighouse Bay was an ideal place to establish and
monitor BMPs and assess any improvement in water quality. The main aim was
to determine to what extent improved farm practices and BMPs could contribute
to improved water quality in the catchment (Dickson et al., 2005; Merrilees et al.,
2006).
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