European Marine Sites

European Marine Sites (EMS) or ‘Natura 2000′ sites are a network of marine areas which protect habitats and species of European importance.

This network consists of:

* Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) which are designated under the EU Habitats Directive to conserve habitats and species of European importance

* Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are established under the EU Wild Birds Directive to protect populations of bird species of European importance and regularly occurring migratory birds within the EU.

EMS Terminology

* Features – The bird species (SPAs) or broad habitat types (SACs) a site was designated for

* Sub features – A more detailed description of the habitat feature

* Site specific sub-feature – A biotope level description of the sub-feature specific to the site

* Supporting habitats – Habitats on which bird features of SPAs rely

* Conservation objective – A statement describing the desired state or quality of an EMS feature, and whether it must be maintained or restored to meet that state.

When an EMS is created a list of the important species and habitats it is being designated to protect is created, and these are known as the sites features. The features can be broad habitat types, such as ‘estuaries’ or ‘saltmarshes’. Many of the habitat features then have more detailed sub-features such as ‘intertidal mudflats’. Finally, these sub-features are described at biotope level and are specific to the site – these are the site specific sub-features. For SPA sites the bird species and assemblages constitute the features and they have associated supporting habitats which are important to the bird species as they provide feeding/rooting grounds.

All EMS have a set conservation objective. This is a statement describing the desired ecological state or quality of a feature for which the site is designated. The conservation objective establishes whether a feature meets the desired state and should be maintained, or falls below it and should be recovered to a favourable condition.

EMS in Kent & Essex

The coastal areas of Kent and Essex are highly diverse, from chalk reef habitats extending off the north coast of Kent to vast saltmarshes supporting thousands of migrating birds in Essex. Many of our marine and coastal habitats are of European importance, with Kent and Essex having some of the best or most extensive examples certain habitats in the EU. As such, large sections of the coastal and marine environment are protected by SACs or SPAs.

SAC

Margate and Longsands SAC
Essex Estuaries SAC
Thanet Coast SAC
Sandwich Bay SAC
Dungeness SAC

SPAs

Kent and Essex IFCAs role in EMS

MPAs that are situated within territorial waters (less than 12 nautical miles from the coast) are the responsibility of the relevant Statutory Nature Conservation Body, which in English waters is Natural England.

Establishing management schemes is optional for relevant and competent authorities under the Habitats Regulations and Offshore Habitats Regulations. Competent authorities include any statutory body or public office exercising legislative powers, while relevant authorities are those competent authorities with local powers which may impact on the marine environment within an EMS. Relevant and competent authorities can include (but are not limited to) Natural England, local councils, harbour authorities, the Environment Agency and IFCAs.

IFCAs are defined as competent and relevant authorities in respect to the implementation of the habitats directive. As such, it is the IFCAs responsibility to deliver management of fisheries within EMS encompassed within an IFCA district. It is therefore Kent and Essex IFCAs legal duty to implement appropriate conservation measures to avoid damage to EMS by fisheries activities.

Find out more about MPA management within the Kent and Essex IFCA district here.