EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Argyll Marine Special Areas of Conservation

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2 Argyll Marine Special Areas of Conservation

3 Legislative Background Under the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora), Loch Creran has been designated as a marine Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and has been adopted by the European Commission as a Site of Community Importance (SCI) for its unique assemblage of reefs, both bedrock reefs and biogenic reefs (reefs produced by living organisms) which have been constructed by the serpulid tube worm Serpula vermicularis and the horse mussel Modiolus modiolus. In the marine environment, individuals of Serpula vermicularis are common but in a reef form they are exceptionally rare, occurring in only two other locations in Europe. The Loch Creran reefs are currently the most extensive and the best examples of serpulid reef habitat. Horse mussel beds are relatively common in Scottish west coast waters but are rare in a European context. These biogenic reefs provide significant habitat for a great diversity of marine organisms. However, they are slow growing and extremely susceptible to physical damage. The small amount of bedrock reef in Loch Creran provides substrate for a diversity of sessile organisms. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Management Forum and Plan The Loch Creran Marine SAC Management Plan represents a progressive working agreement between stakeholders with interests in the present and future management of the loch. Formulation of this management plan has been accomplished through the Argyll Marine SAC Management Forum. The Forum was established in 2003 to provide a community stakeholder-led approach to developing sustainable, realistic and achievable long-term site management for Loch Creran and consists of representatives of competent and relevant authorities, communities around the site, and those working in fishing, aquaculture, recreation, tourism and other marine related industry. The management plan is a tool that competent and relevant statutory authorities can use to help ensure that they are fulfilling the requirements set down by the Habitats Directive when making future development decisions, whilst taking into account the multiple social and economic dependencies of the area. It is also a reference for those wishing to develop or use the area, to determine if their proposed activities are compatible with the requirements of the Habitats Directive. Social and Economic Importance of Firth of Lorn Loch Creran is commercially and recreationally significant, supporting numerous activities of social, economic and environmental importance to the surrounding rural communities. Local industry and businesses include finfish and shellfish aquaculture, static and mobile gear fishing, fish farm cage construction, boat storage, boat mooring facilities, sea freight, fish processing and the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary. Recreational pursuits encompass sailing, sea kayaking, wildlife watching and scuba diving. Of this large diversity of activities, many have little impact on the conservation interests of the site. However, some have the potential to impact significantly on the serpulid reef and horse mussel beds. Activity Management The Forum has reviewed activities occurring within the site and management actions have been developed in an attempt to mitigate damage to the Loch Creran reefs. Current legislative procedures for regulating each activity are outlined and suggestions are provided, based on the existing legal framework, as to the future management of each activity within the site. LOCH CRERAN

4 Fishing Due to the fragility of the serpulid reefs and horse mussel beds, all fishing methods have the potential to cause serious physical damage. Therefore, the Forum developed a zoning plan for the loch that restricts fishing within areas where serpulid reefs and horse mussel beds are located. The zoning plan takes account of the local economic importance of fishing activities and no-fishing areas have been identified on the basis of various depth contours, allowing continued fishing opportunities in large areas of the loch. Although some Forum members believed that the zoning plan would not afford the necessary protection to the conservation interests of the site, in 2006, the Scottish Executive took the decision to zone Loch Creran to prevent all types of fishing in areas of serpulid reef and horse mussel bed and to close the loch completely to scallop dredging. As horse mussel beds are slow growing and vulnerable to over-fishing by commercial divers, the Forum recommends that harvesting from the horse mussel bed is prohibited. Aquaculture The potential impact of finfish aquaculture on serpulid reefs has been recognised and mitigation efforts have already been adopted by moving salmon cages into deeper water away from serpulid reef areas. Future development of finfish and shellfish aquaculture will be assessed by the relevant regulatory authorities with due consideration of Loch Creran's conservation interests. Mooring and Anchoring Mooring and anchor placement for recreational and commercial use has the potential to cause significant physical damage to the conservation interests of the site. The Forum recommends that relevant/competent authorities ensure that future mooring placement be preceded by diver survey to check the area is clear of serpulid reefs and horse mussel beds before moorings are dropped. The dive survey should follow the methodology in the Loch Creran Marine SAC: Private and Commercial Moorings Pack. To mitigate potential damage from anchors, preferred anchorage areas have been identified around the loch and are shown within the zoning plan for the site. Loch users will be encouraged to use these sites and will be made aware of the SAC designation through educational and interpretive materials. Coastal Development Future coastal land use or marine development related plans or projects would be subject to the Habitats Regulations. If a development is proposed which is not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site and is likely to have a significant effect on the conservation interests, the relevant or competent authority must undertake an appropriate assessment. The necessary consents will only be granted if it can be shown that there will be no impact on the conservation interests of the site. The appropriate assessment procedure will also apply to potentially impacting developments in other sectors. Argyll Marine Special Areas of Conservation

5 Monitoring Loch Creran Although monitoring is not a requirement of the Habitats Directive, surveillance and reporting on site status to the European Commission every six years is necessary. In order to meet this reporting requirement, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) will monitor all marine SACs once every six years. SNH have agreed to consult with the Forum before any monitoring takes place to identify areas that may be sensitive to impact or in need of specific monitoring. Future Management Plan Development and Implementation The Forum will continue to meet annually, or when necessary, to review and update the plan to reflect changing environmental and economic circumstances. Argyll and Bute Council will coordinate the implementation of the management actions and the plan will be updated to detail implementation progress. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY LOCH CRERAN

6 Argyll Marine Special Areas of Conservation