English - Caribbean Environment Programme

Coastal Wales northern Pembrokeshire and southern Cardigan Bay; Lleyn Peninsula and Bardsey Island; and,north and west Anglesey – harbour porpoisesBardsey Island – Risso's dolphins Cardigan Bay – bottlenose dolphins 694The UK's total marine area to the limits of its EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) equals some867,000 km 2 . 695 The combined cetacean critical habitat identified in this project and recommendedfor MPA protection amounts to 41,666 km 2 , less than 5% of the UK waters to the limit of its EEZ.This breaks down to 0.75% in England, 3.4% in Scotland, and 0.65% in Wales. As a percentageof each individual country's marine area, 696 these figures represent 2.6% of the marine area ofEngland 697 , 4.9% of Scotland 698 and 35% of Wales 699 .New legislation now in place for the UK and Scotland provides an important opportunity to providepotentially powerful conservation measures for cetaceans in UK waters, measures previouslyunavailable for many species. Considerable expertise has been developed in the nature conservationagencies over recent years through establishing and managing SACs for bottlenose dolphins. Thisexperience and the management structures already in place can be used in the development ofMPAs for these and other cetacean species.Although there has existed a legal tool to create MPAs for harbour porpoises for several yearsthrough the EU Habitats Directive, to date no SACs for harbour porpoises have been put in placein the UK. There is good evidence that several sites around the UK meet the criteria outlined by theEC Habitats Committee 700 for SAC designation, as well as for inclusion in a national MPA network.UK waters are a stronghold for harbour porpoises with some of the highest densities in Europe.Locations such as the Hebrides (west Scotland), Pembrokeshire and southern Cardigan Bay(Wales) — where the strongest evidence exists of predictable regular use by concentrations ofanimals for critical activities such as feeding and raising calves — would be ideal candidates forSAC status, and this would certainly fulfill the criteria for MPA designation at a national level. Inaddition to offering protection to harbour porpoises in these critical habitats, it would provide theopportunity to conduct research into the effects of management measures put in place and monitorif they are beneficial to porpoise populations. If benefits for harbour porpoise populations wereobserved, further locations could be considered for protection.MPAs are a work very much in progress. They are being used in many parts of the world forcetacean conservation, they are showing success, and they could provide similar benefits in theUK 701 . As highly-mobile marine species, cetaceans present certain challenges in attempts todevelop conservation measures, particularly as there are many gaps in our knowledge. With this ismind, it will be important to develop MPAs in a precautionary manner. This means ensuring they aresufficiently large (at least in the early stages), flexible, and adaptive to new information in order toprovide us with buffers against uncertainty and ensure critical habitats have been protected.694An SAC is already in place for part of this area695Frid and Paramor, 2006696Based on the area for which each country has MPA designation authority — England out to 200nm; Scotland outto 200nm (joint authority with JNCC, 12200nm); Wales out to 12nm.697England's marine area is 248,381km 2 . Area of critical habitat identified in English waters is 6,461km 2 .698Scotland's marine area is 602,600km 2 . Area of critical habitat identified in Scottish waters is 29,530km 2 .699Wales's marine area is 15,992km 2 . Area of critical habitat identified in Welsh waters is 5,667km 2 .70014th December 2002, DG Environment. See Section 1 continuous or regular presence of the species, goodpopulation density and high ratio of young to adults during certain periods of the year701Reeves, 2009; Hoyt, 2005a (2nd edition in prep. for 2011)117