Guidance for marine wildlife conservation

Over the past decade there have been rapid and significant changes in the effect of wildlife conservation legislation on the activities of the fishing industry. The industry is, by and large, unaware of the practical implications of this legislation.

In response to this, we have produced a series of short guidance notes that will help the commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors to comply with the requirements of UK nature conservation legislation.

We have produced four short guidance notes that will together provide a general overview of all UK marine wildlife conservation legislation . The intention with each publication is to be brief and to the point, focusing on practical issues and solutions. The first note will set the scene, while others will provide more detailed information and guidance: 

• Commercial Fishing & Wildlife - this note highlights the existence of new legal rules for wildlife protection, alerts the industry to the need to obey these rules and provides general guidance on how to go about this.
• Appropriate Assessment Proforma - this provides a step-by-step proforma for the industry to use when planning an activity that will take place in a protected site. It will inform the initial assessment under Article 6 of the Habitats Directive ("Likely Significant Effect").
• Protected wildlife sites - this note summarises the rules that protect sites (such as SSSIs, MNRs, SPAs and SACs), and how the industry should work with fisheries regulators, conservation agencies and NGOs to protect these sites.
• Protected marine wildlife species - this note summarises the rules relating to those species that are protected wherever they occur (such as cetaceans). 

For further information contact:

Mark Gray
Environmental Assessment Support Officer
t: 01248 605038
e: m_gray@seafish.co.uk