New marine Conservation and Protection Areas around Wales

Outcome of this consultation

This consultation ended on 3 May 2016. Our final reports on the consultation were completed and submitted to the Welsh and UK Governments in September and October 2016.  Having carefully considered all responses, we recommended to the Welsh and UK Governments that the proposed harbour porpoise SACs and the marine SPAs should be agreed to as consulted over. Copies of the consultation reports are available below.

Having considered our recommendations, the Welsh Ministers have agreed to:

- submit all three harbour porpoise sites around Wales to the European Commission as candidate SACs

- classify the three SPA proposals

Updated documentation for these sites (including maps and formal designation documents) will be available in due course from our 'Designated Sites' web page. In the meantime, the information published for the consultation last year can still be accessed below.

Further information is also available on the JNCC website 

SACs and SPAs are designated under EU Directives which aim to conserve biodiversity across the European Union. Together SACs and SPAs make up a network of sites called ‘Natura 2000’. The Natura 2000 network consists of over 27,000 designated sites covering areas of land and sea in all EU member states.

Designation of SACs and SPAs in Wales and Welsh territorial waters is the responsibility of the Welsh Ministers. NRW advises Ministers on the identification of sites, and we are now carrying out this consultation on their behalf. No decisions have yet been made on whether to designate these areas but if they are designated, they will become part of Wales’ contribution to the Natura 2000 network, joining Wales’ existing series of marine SACs and SPAs.

Some of the sites we are consulting on lie partly in English and offshore waters that fall under the responsibility of the UK Government. There are also further proposed sites in English, Northern Ireland and offshore waters, being consulted on by the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). We will signpost you to the web address for the JNCC consultation.

Anyone wishing to respond to this consultation is advised to first read our consultation paper, which explains in more detail what this consultation is about and how to respond, and gives a guide to the large number of documents that form part of this consultation.

Documents relevant to all sites:

• Consultation paper PLEASE READ THIS FIRST
• Short explanatory leaflet about the possible SACs
• Copy of the consultation letter
• Some Questions and Answers
• NRW press release
• Draft report on the evidence to inform the Impact Assessments
• Responding to the consultation

Documents relating to the proposed Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for harbour porpoise:

• North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol possible SAC
• West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol possible SAC
• Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren possible SAC
• Evidence and analysis reports supporting the identification of possible SACs for harbour porpoise
• Draft Impact Assessment for the proposed SACs
• Letter from Welsh Government asking NRW to consult on the proposed SACs
• Supplementary advice note: amended estimates of proportion of harbour porpoise populations occurring in the possible SACs

Documents relating to the proposed Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for seabirds

• Anglesey Terns / Morwenoliaid Ynys Môn potential SPA
• Northern Cardigan Bay / Gogledd Bae Ceredigion potential SPA
• Skomer, Skokholm and the seas off Pembrokeshire / Sgomer, Sgogwm a moroedd Penfro potential SPA
• Statutory notice issued by Welsh Government to NRW regarding consultation on the proposed SPAs

Other related websites

• Joint Nature Conservation Committee consultation on proposed SACs for harbour porpoise
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee information about other SPAs in UK offshore waters
• European Commission
• Welsh Government
• Scottish Government statement about harbour porpoise SACs