A project to establish
management schemes on
selected UK marine Special
Areas of Conservation

The vast coastline and seas of the United Kingdom have a remarkable marine natural heritage and provide rich resources for both work and play. These are treasures that need to be safeguarded and the UK Marine SACs Project will play a major role in achieving this.

Visit the new UK Marine SACs website at http://www.ukmarinesac.org.uk

The project is a partnership between English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage, Countryside Council for Wales, Environment and Heritage Service DoE Northern Ireland, Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

Duration – May 1996 to February 2001

Funding is provided by the UK’s nature conservation bodies and matched equally by the European Commission’s Life – Nature Programme.

In the UK, management schemes will be established on marine Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) as a key measure in meeting the European Union's Habitats Directive. Each Scheme will be prepared jointly by a group of relevant authorities having statutory powers over the SAC. As a framework, they will contain measures necessary to safeguard the important marine features and through which the authorities will carry out their duties.

The requirement of the Habitats Directive to set up protected areas in the marine environment presents new challenges for wildlife conservation. This Project will show the way in this by trialling proposed approaches and developing expertise through various activities:

Working with relevant authorities to establish operational management schemes on 12 candidate marine SACs, around the United Kingdom, the locations of which are located on the map of projects and special features.

Sharing best practice on developing management schemes.

Gathering existing knowledge and improving our understanding on

• dynamics and sensitivity of marine features
• impact of human activities on marine features
• practical techniques for monitoring and assessing condition of features

Raising awareness in the UK and Europe of the value of marine SACs and the means by which they will be safeguarded.

For further information on each of the publications of the Project and to view each item click on selection required.

Marinelife - the newsletter for the UK Marine SACs Project

Reports on the dynamics and sensitivity of marine features

For further information, please contact:

UK Marine SACs Project
English Nature
Northminster House
Peterborough PE1 1UA

Tel (01733) 455100
Fax (01733) 568834
E-mail [email protected]