Condition assessments for Welsh European marine sites (EMS)

Our condition assessments are essential if you are:

• developing, proposing or assessing an activity, plan or project that may affect the protected features of a European Marine Site (EMS)
• preparing Habitats Regulations Assessments or Environmental Impact Assessments for proposed plans or projects that may affect the protected features of an EMS
• planning measures to maintain or restore an EMS and its protected features
• managing the condition of the protected features

Cross-border condition assessments are in development, and are not currently included. 

This work was carried out as part of the Improving Marine Conservation Advice Project, funded by Welsh Government through their Nature Networks programme. A summary of the assessment process and results can be found in the final report. 

Site-level reports

Full condition assessments have been produced for the designated habitats and species (known as 'features') in Wales’ European marine sites:

• marine special areas of conservation (SACs)
• marine special protection areas (SPAs)

Special areas of conservation

These reports contain the condition assessments for all the marine features within each SAC site:

• Anglesey Coast SAC
• Cardigan Bay SAC
• Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries SAC
• Cemlyn Bay SAC
• Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC
• Pembrokeshire Marine SAC
• Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau SAC

Special protection areas

These reports contain the condition assessments for all the marine features within each SPA site:

• Carmarthen Bay SPA
• Burry Inlet SPA
• Anglesey Terns SPA
• Northern Cardigan Bay SPA
• Grassholm SPA
• Traeth Lafan SPA
• Dyfi Estuary SPA
• Aberdaron Coast and Bardsey Island SPA
  
  

Feature-level reports

These reports contain the condition assessments of each marine feature within Welsh SACs:

• Coastal lagoons
• Sandbanks
• Atlantic salt meadows and salicornia
• Mudflats and sandflats
• Reefs
• Estuaries
• Large shallow inlets and bays
• Sea caves
• River and sea lamprey
• Allis and twaite shad
• Grey seal
• Otter
• Bottlenose dolphin

These condition assessments are not directly comparable to the indicative condition assessments published in 2018, as differing methods were used. 

View the related conservation advice reports for European marine sites.