Estuaries in bid for special conservation status
Posted: Tuesday 4th September 2007
Three estuaries - the Dee, Humber and Severn - have been earmarked by the government as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to protect vulnerable wildlife and habitats.
Defra has written to the European Commission to seek SAC status for the three candidate sites, to add to the UK’s 611 SACs covering just over two and a half million hectares. This is part of a long-running process of designation of UK conservation areas under the EU Habitats Directive.
The Severn Estuary has been selected as one of the best areas in the UK for mudflats, sand flats and Atlantic salt meadows. The estuary is also an important area for migratory fish and as a nursery for juvenile fish of many species.
The Dee Estuary supports extensive areas of salt marsh and has the fifth largest extent of mudflats and sand flats of any estuary in the UK. It includes a dune system along the north-east coast of Wales which supports a rich variety of plants, including the rare petalwort. The estuary is also important for a number of migratory fish species.
The Humber Estuary is the largest British coastal plain estuary on the North Sea coast, and drains one fifth of England. The subtidal and intertidal habitats, fringing salt marsh and reedbeds provide a valuable resource for a large number of rare or threatened mammals, fish and plants.
The Sustainable Development Commission is due to report in the autumn on the potential for utilising tidal power to generate electricity both in the Severn and elsewhere. SAC designation would not rule out tidal power development, including in the Severn Estuary, in appropriate circumstances. The Government is ready to consider carefully proposals for a Severn Barrage and other tidal power developments.
In the light of this Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government have drawn the European Commission's attention to the potential of the Severn Estuary to contribute towards emissions reduction and renewable energy targets. We have also pointed out that these proposals could significantly alter the ecological characteristics of the Estuary and raise issues regarding the balance between habitat protection and tackling the wider problems caused by global warming. We are discussing this balance with the EU Commission.
Biodiversity Minister Joan Ruddock said:
“In submitting these sites the Government has demonstrated its commitment to the protection and restoration of the UK’s richly diverse, and internationally important, wildlife habitats. We will work towards ensuring that our environmental protection agenda and our aim to develop renewable sources of power are complementary.”
