English - Caribbean Environment Programme

For cetacean species that are considered a) priority marine features, and b) suitable for protectionusing MPAs, the Nature Conservation MPA selection guidelines will then be applied to areas wherethese species are found. The focus of Stage 1 of the guidelines is to identify search locationscontaining priority marine features within the broader search areas. For those cetacean speciesthat have made it to this stage, an assessment would already have been made as to the existenceof areas used for key life cycle stages, so these may already provide the search locations and couldbe passed on to Stage 2 of the process. However, as worded currently, the guidelines state thatadditionally, an area must meet at least one of the stated Stage 1 guidelines if it is to be considereda search location and go through to the next stage. These are:the presence of key features, orthe presence of features considered to be under threat or subject to rapid decline, orthe area has functional significance for the overall health and diversity of Scottish seas.To be determined a 'key feature', a species has to be considered of conservation value at a nationalor international level which the guidelines state is likely to mean either Scotland is a stronghold forthat species; it is 'characteristic' of Scotland's marine environment 33 ; or, it can be considered ofexceptional scientific importance. Features under threat include, but are not limited to, species onthe OSPAR Threatened and Declining list which occur in and are considered to be threatenedand/or declining in Scottish waters.Locations that make it through to Stage 2 will be prioritised according to the perceived 'quality' ofthe priority marine features they contain. In the comparisons, locations with 'combinations offeatures, rather than single isolated features' and areas with naturally high biodiversity will belooked for. This method should be used with care, however, as there may be examples of cetaceanor other species populations relying heavily on particular locations or having important parts of theirdistribution not necessarily used by other species.Locations will also be prioritised at this stage if they contain 'features considered leastdamaged/more natural' and those that contain 'features considered to be at risk of significant damage'.Stage 3 of the guidelines is concerned with adapting the size of the search location to ensure it issuitable for maintaining the integrity of the feature. Stage 4 assesses whether an MPA is the mosteffective mechanism to deliver the required management. Finally, Stage 5 prioritises betweenpotential MPAs according to their contribution to the network.The guidelines state that the identification of sites should be based on the best available scientificevidence and that the lack of full scientific certainty should not be a reason for delay.A different set of criteria will be used by JNCC to determine which mobile marine species arepriority marine features between 12- 200nm around the UK. This will be conducted in consultationwith Marine Scotland Science by merging the OSPAR Threatened and Declining list and the UKBAP list; it is currently open to expert peer review.Cetaceans and MPA guidelinesThere would seem to be three key points that determine whether MPAs will be considered andimplemented as a conservation tool for cetaceans in the UK. For both processes in Scotland andEngland/Wales, whether definable areas used for important life processes can be identified (the'appropriateness' test); and for Scotland, whether species are determined to be 'key features'and/or under threat or declining.The last two points are considered in Section 4.5. The question of whether it is possible to identifyareas used for important life processes such as feeding, breeding and raising young, using currentinformation about cetaceans in UK waters, forms the basis of much of this report.1233Defined as distinctive and/or representative