Project aims
Funding

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

The Project was set up in response to the challenges placed by European legislation EC Council Directive 92/43/EEC 'on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. This Directive aims to protect some of the most valuable parts of Europe's natural heritage and ensure its wise use. To achieve this, it has identified a set of habitats and species known as Annex I habitats and Annex II species which require special conservation measures to be taken by Member States. In particular these measures include the designation and management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for the habitats and species.

The UK Marine SACs Project was set up to establish management schemes on selected marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Its activities have focused on a selection of twelve marine SACs around the UK and on developing specific areas of knowledge needed for the management and monitoring of European marine sites.

This website is a vehicle for communicating and distributing the learning, knowledge and outputs from the UK Marine SACs Project to its wider audience. All the documents and background information that have been published can be accessed through this site.

Project aims

The requirements of the EC Habitats Directive to set up protected areas in the marine environment presents new challenges for wildlife conservation. The Project aims to develop approaches and techniques to the management and monitoring of the marine SACs. Specifically the project aims to:

i) Establish operational management schemes on a selection of 12 marine SACs around the UK, working with relevant authorities and other local partners

ii) Share best practice on developing appropriate management schemes

iii) Gather existing knowledge and improve our understanding on

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

  iv) Raise awareness in the UK and Europe for the value of marine SACs and the means by which they may be safeguarded

All information generated by the Project can be accessed through this site as either individual pages of html or as PDF files of complete reports.

Funding

The Project has been run as a partnership between six different UK organisations: English Nature; Scottish Natural Heritage; Countryside Council for Wales; Environment and Heritage Services Northern Ireland; Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Scottish Association for Marine Science. Their funds are matched by the European Commission's LIFE -Nature Programme. The Project runs from May 1996 to October 2001.