INNER MORAY FIRTH - Marine protected area (OSPAR )

• WDPA ID : 555557036
• WDPA PID : 555557036
• Name of MPA: INNER MORAY FIRTH
  Close windowOfficial name of the marine protected area
• Original name of MPA: Inner Moray Firth
  Close windowFor European countries, the name and the original name are often the same. However, the original name displays accents for names in Spanish, Portuguese and French.
• Country: United Kingdom
• Designation in national language: Marine protected area (OSPAR )
  Close windowCategory of protected area officially established and nationally recognized as such.
• Designation in English: Marine protected area (OSPAR )
• Designation type: international
  Close windowA designation may be either 'national' or 'international'.
  A designation is ‘National' when it has legal value at national level and applies to sitesin the national territory.
  A designation is 'International' when referring to a protected area recognizedunder an international convention or treaty (MAB/OSPAR/RAMSAR/N2000/World Heritage/ etc.).
  For sites designated by a text concerning more than one country, their designation type will be 'International'.
  The designation type is 'International‘ even if the text covering several countries has been transposed into national legislation, i.e. sites designated under the 'Habitats' or Natura 2000 'Birds' directives.
• IUCN Category: Not applicable
  Close windowThe IUCN has agreed upon a definition of what is/is not a protected area. It then identified six different categories of protected areas based on the management objectives.Protected areas exist in incredibly diverse forms (sizes, locations, approaches and management objectives[Dudley, N. (Editor) (2008). Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. x + 86pp].
  In some countries, the IUCN committees have drawn up a table to match IUCN categories to national designations.When this correspondence has not been done, the information shall not be reported here.
• Reported marine area: 21,49 km²
  Close windowMarine surface are (km²) declared by the contracting party
• Calculated total area: 21,44 km²
  Close windowSurface totale du périmètre calculée à l'aide des outils géomatiques (en kilomètre carré, projection World Mollweide).
• Calculated marine area: 20,07 km²
  Close windowSurface marine totale du périmètre calculée à l'aide des outils géomatiques (en kilomètre carré, projection World Mollweide).
• Status: Designated
  Close windowA marine protected area may have various levels of progress. This is indicated by its 'status' which may be:
  - proposed: the project to establish the marine protected area is in progress,
  - designated: the marine protected area is officially designated and recognized by law,
  - listed: this specific status is used only for sites listed (designated) as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Status year: 2011
  Close windowDate of proposal, designation (or listing) of the marine protected area.
• OSPAR region: Greater North Sea
• Management authority name: Scottish Natural Heritage
  Close windowName of the organization responsible for managing the protected area. The personal contact is available from the collaborative space reserved for subscribers.
• Management authority web site:


• OSPAR conservation objectives/aims:
  Close windowA marine protected area is designated according to a number of OSPAR conservation objectives which it must subsequently meet.
  • Protect, conserve and restore species, habitats and ecological processes which have been adversely affected by human activities
  • Prevent degradation of, and damage to, species, habitats and ecological processes, following the precautionary principle
  • Protect and conserve areas that best represent the range of species, habitats and ecological processes in the maritime area
• Site conservation objectives/aims:
  Close windowA marine protected area is designated according to a number of official objectives which it must subsequently meet.
  The word 'objective' refers here to the aim or status sought.
  • To maintain, conserve or restore biodiversity, natural heritage, habitats, species or landscapes with legal protection status
  • To maintain key ecological functions (spawning areas, nursery grounds, feeding zones, resting areas, areas of high productivity, etc.)
• Additional conservation objectives/aims:
  Close windowAbove and beyond the official objectives defined for a designation category and text, a MPA often pursues many other objectives.
  These objectives are generally specific to the local issues of the MPA.
  Data not reported

Warning : Non-exhaustive list of species and habitats with statuses, provided by the manager.

• Inventory of marine species present with protection status
  • Species present

    Species under status

    Class	WoRMS Code	Species present (and which justified the designation )
    Aves	137162	Sterna hirundo ( )	registration lists Close window Registration list of species : IUCN Red List (LC : Least Concern) Natura 2000 species
    	137179	Phalacrocorax carbo ( )	registration lists Close window Registration list of species : IUCN Red List (LC : Least Concern) Natura 2000 species
    	147436	Haematopus ostralegus ( )	registration lists Close window Registration list of species : IUCN Red List (NT : Near Threatened) Natura 2000 species

• Inventory of marine habitats present with protection status Data not reported

• Human activities currently known to be occurring within the site:
  Close windowData are provided on the basis of best available knowledge at the time. If no information exists for a particular activity, this last isn't referenced.

• Governing body:Data not reported
  Close window'Governing body' means: a group of stakeholders responsible for making management proposals or giving opinions about the site and whose existence and members are formally defined in official instruments (instruments relating to the site category or establishing the site).
• Structure(s) responsible for implementing management measures, the management plan and taking regulatory decisions and measures
• National public authority: Data not reported
• Regional or local public authority: Data not reported
• International body : Data not reported

• Number of permanent staff: Data not reported
• Number of seasonal staff: Data not reported
• Annual full-time equivalents: Data not reported
  Close windowNot all the staff of a marine protected area work 100% of the time (full time) for the area.This information gives very precise insight into the 'employee time' allocated to the operation of a marine protected area.
• Number of MPA staff empowered to enforce the MPA regulations: Data not reported
• Equipment and facilities available Data not reported
• Average total annual budget over the last 5 years: Data not reported euros
• Average annual operating budget over the last 5 years: Data not reported euros
• Average annual equipment budget over the last 5 years: Data not reported euros
• Average annual external support budget over the last 5 years: Data not reported euros
• Funding sources: Data not reported

• Is the MPA management documented? Partial
• Comments : Conservation objectives published online. 'Operations requiring consent' and 'Site management statements' for underpinning Beauly Firth SSSI, Munlochy Bay SSSI, Longman & Castle Stuart Bays SSSIs were published in 2008 and Whiteness Head SSSI in 2013
• Are the measures to achieve the conservation objectives being implemented? Partial
• Comments : Existing development control measures, including HRA, for licensable activities. Not all unregulated activities have been assessed and/or addressed
• Is monitoring in place to assess if measures are working? Partial
• Comments : Populations of qualifying features periodically monitored by SNH
• Is the MPA moving towards or has reached its conservation objectives? Unknown
• Comments : Common tern b Unfavourable no change , Cormorant nb Unfavourable no change 2001, (Waterfowl assemblage nb Favourable maintained 2001 - note named components not on current OSPAR species list)
• Number of management plan versions since the official designation of the MPA:
  Close windowNumber of management plan versions since the official designation of the MPA:

• National legal status:
  • None
• International legal status:
  • Birds Directive - WDPA ID = 555541664 - N2000 ID = UK9001624
• Type of enforcement within the MPA:
  Close windowType of enforcement within the MPA:
  Data not reported
• Human uses and activities in the MPA subject to regulations: None
  Close windowList of activities specifically governed by a charter, or regulated or prohibited by the MPA within the perimeter.
  Charters, regulations or prohibitions to be enforced throughout the year are considered'permanent', as opposed to so-called 'periodical' charters, regulations or prohibitions, to be enforced on a seasonal, nocturnal or diurnal basis, or only enforced for a few months in the year, etc.

• Type of monitoring programs implemented: Data not reported

• Ecological significance:
  • Important feeding, breeding, moulting, wintering or resting area
• Level of importance of the biological diversity: Data not available
• Level of representativity: High
• Level of sensitivity: Medium
• Level of naturalness: Data not available
• Potential for restoration: Low / not significant
• Degree of MPA acceptance by stakeholders: Medium
• Potential for success of management measures: High
• Potential future damage to the area by human activities: Low / not significant
• Scientific value Medium