Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended) - Regulation 3ZA: implementation report 2019 to 2024

6. Measures taken to ensure coherence of the European site network

NatureScot has created a comprehensive series of information and guidance documents on many aspects of habitat and species connectivity for a range of users covering applications, initiatives, tools and research.

There are two key areas of work that are in development in Scotland that will ensure the coherence of the European site network:

• 30 by 30 – the initiative to secure 30% of Scotland’s land and seas to be managed for nature by 2030, in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target 3, is progressing at pace. The European site network is an important component of the range of designations that are counted towards the 30% target. The target is more than just an area figure to meet. Sites that are included must be effectively managed so that their features are considered to be in favourable condition.
• Monitoring to deliver ecosystem health – this project aims to change how the condition of protected areas, including those in the European site network, is determined. This will be through a revised methodology that focuses on the pressures affecting sites and assesses the health of the ecosystem(s) within a site. This can then better direct appropriate management to improve the overall ecosystem health, including where necessary to tackle off-site issues.

The Marine Protected Area network report to the Scottish Parliament includes recommendations for the connectivity and replication of features within the network.

6.1 Initiatives

Nature Networks Framework

NatureScot has developed a framework for Nature Networks in partnership with over 200 individuals from nearly 110 organisations from a broad spectrum of Scotland’s sectors and communities. The networks will help build people’s connection to nature, providing biodiversity-rich spaces that deliver local benefits, and meet the priorities of local communities for nature.

The Central Scotland Green Network

Covering 10,000 km² and with a 40-year timeframe, the CSGN is one of the largest and most ambitious green infrastructure programmes in Europe. Through the support of the Scottish Government and over 80 partners, its focus is to address climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental inequality by connecting people to greenspace where it is needed most.

6.2 User tools

The Nature Networks Toolbox is a live resource for local authorities, partnerships, organisations, and groups. The aim is to facilitate the effective design and implementation of Nature Networks at the local and regional level and support strong alignment in approaches across Scotland.

The Big Biodiversity Layer (BBL) is a tool which will aid anyone wishing to explore their lands potential to be recognised as an Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) and contribute towards Scotland’s 30 by 30 efforts. The tool is being developed by NatureScot and maps biodiversity across Scotland in order to identify the most highly biodiverse areas. The BBL is intended to be one tool which helps inform decision making around new 30 by 30 sites.

Marine Recorder Online (MRO) is a data management solution for UK marine data, focusing on biodiversity and associated seafloor sampling data. From Marine Recorder Online, custodians (or other authorised users) can query, and download signed off and published datasets.

6.3 Marine Protected Area Network

In addition to designating parts of Scotland’s marine area as European sites, a Scottish Marine Protected Area Network has been completed. The MPA network supports the Scottish Government’s vision for a clean, healthy, safe, productive, biologically diverse marine and coastal environment, managed to meet the long-term needs of nature and people. Scotland’s MPA network also, for the Scottish Inshore zone, supports meeting our statutory obligations under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, the Habitats Regulations, and the UK Marine Strategy Regulations 2010. The MPA Network represents a total area of 37,885 km² (41.9%) within the Scottish Inshore zone, from a conservation perspective it is comprised of Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NC MPAs), European sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Ramsar sites. The MPA Network both overlaps with and complements the European site network; contributing to a well-managed coherent network.

Within the MPA Network, Nature Conservation MPAs and SSSIs provide protected areas additional to those of the European sites within the Scottish Inshore zone for habitats and species on Annex I or Annex II of the Habitats Directive, and Annex I of the Birds Directive. Specifically, within the MPA Network, 14 Nature Conservation MPAs provide an additional^[3] 14,892.7 km² of protection, and 19 SSSIs provide a further additional 176.3 km² of protection.

The SBS Delivery Plan contains commitments to deliver actions to implement an adaptive management approach for MPAs within the Scottish MPA network and to assess the climate resilience of the MPA network.