Pen Llŷn A'r Sarnau Special Area Of
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Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau / Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau Special Area of Conservation Advice provided by Natural Resources Wales in fulfilment of Regulation 37 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. March 2018. Contents Summary ............................................................................................................................. 4 Crynodeb ............................................................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................... 8 2. Purpose and format of information provided under Regulation 37 ................................ 9 2.1 Conservation Objectives Background ..................................................................... 9 2.2 Operations which may cause deterioration or disturbance ................................... 12 3. Site and Feature Description ...................................................................................... 14 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Site Description ..................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Glannau Aberdaron ac Ynys Enlli SPA ................................................................. 20 3.4 Mynydd Cilan, Trwyn Y Wylfa ac Ynysoed San Tudwal SPA ............................... 21 3.5 Aber Dyfi SPA ....................................................................................................... 22 3.6 Operations within the SAC .................................................................................... 22 3.7 Modifications as a result of human activity ........................................................... 24 4. Feature Descriptions ................................................................................................... 26 4.1 Reefs .................................................................................................................... 26 4.2 Large shallow inlets and bays ............................................................................... 34 4.3 Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time ........................... 41 4.4 Estuaries ............................................................................................................... 44 4.5 Coastal lagoons .................................................................................................... 50 4.6 Mudflats and sandflats .......................................................................................... 52 4.7 Atlantic salt-meadow ............................................................................................. 56 4.8 Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud and sand feature ............................ 59 4.9 Submerged or partially submerged sea caves ...................................................... 61 4.10 Grey seal Halichoerus grypus ........................................................................... 65 4.11 Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus............................................................... 69 4.12 Otter Lutra lutra ................................................................................................. 73 5. Conservation Objectives ............................................................................................. 78 5.1 Vision statement for Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau .............................................................. 78 5.2 Conservation objectives for the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation 81 5.3 Understanding the Conservation Objectives ......................................................... 84 6. Advice as to operation which may cause deterioration or disturbance to the features 87 7. Bibliography .............................................................................................................. 124 Annexes ........................................................................................................................... 129 Annex 1 Pen Llyn a’r Sarnau SAC feature map: interpretation guide ..................... 129 Page 2 of 144 www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Annex 2 Glossary of Terms ..................................................................................... 133 Annex 3 List of SSSIs and SPAs partly or wholly with the SAC .............................. 136 Annex 4 Elements of favourable conservation status ............................................. 138 Page 3 of 144 www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Summary This document contains NRW’s advice issued under Regulation 37 of the Conservation Regulations 2017, for the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation namely conservation objectives and advice on operations. It also includes an explanation of the purpose and format of NRW’s “Regulation 37 advice”. This latest version of the Regulation 37 package has been revised to improve accessibility of conservation objectives and to update the legislative context. The intent of the conservation objectives and of the advice on operations which may cause deterioration or disturbance to the features is the same as in previous versions. The Conservation Objectives are now more accessible but there has been no change in what is considered to represent Favourable Conservation Status. Table 1 lists the features for the site and provides a direct link to the Conservation Objectives but it is important that all sections are read in full. This report is divided into a series of sections as follows: Section 1 is a brief introduction to the legal context for Regulation 37 advice. Section 2 explains in more detail the legal basis and practical requirements for setting conservation objectives for Natura 2000 sites, as understood by NRW. It also explains the legal and practical basis of the operations advice. Section 3 contains a brief overall description of Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation (SAC), current operations taking place with the SAC and information on modifications as a result of human activity. This section also includes a brief description of the three Special Protection Areas that fall wholly or partly within the SAC boundary. Section 4 describes habitats and species for which the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation has been selected as a SAC as well as why they are considered important. The information is presented using the same headings as those used to describe the conservation objectives so that useful underpinning information in support of these objectives can easily be referenced. Section 5 contains NRW's advice as to the conservation objectives (Regulation 37(3)(a)) for the features for which the site has been as a SAC. This includes a vision statement which is a descriptive overview of what needs to be achieved for conservation on the site. It brings together and summarises the Conservation Objectives into a single, integrated statement about the site. Section 6 contains NRW’s advice as to the operations which may cause deterioration or disturbance of the habitats and species for which the site has been selected (Regulation 37(3)(b)). This is provided to assist the relevant authorities and others in understanding the implications of the designation of the site and the requirements of the Habitats Regulations and government policy towards it. Page 4 of 144 www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Table 1: Summary of site features and conservation objectives. Site Name Designated Features Conservation Objectives Habitats: • Reefs • Large shallow inlets and bays • Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time • Estuaries Pen Llŷn a’r Coastal lagoons • Conservation objectives Sarnau SAC • Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide • Atlantic salt meadows • Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud and sand • Submerged or partially submerged sea caves Species: • Grey seal Halichoerus grypus • Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus • Otter Lutra lutra Page 5 of 144 www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Crynodeb Mae’r ddogfen hon yn cynnwys cyngor gan CNC a roddwyd dan Reoliad 37 Rheoliadau Cadwraeth 2017, ar gyfer Ardal Cadwraeth Arbennig Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau, sef amcanion cadwraethol a chyngor ynghylch gweithrediadau. Mae hefyd yn cynnwys esboniad o bwrpas a fformat “cyngor Rheoliad 37” CNC. Mae fersiwn ddiweddaraf y pecyn Rheoliad 37 wedi’i ddiwygio er mwyn gwella’r modd y gellir asesu amcanion cadwraethol a diweddaru’r cyd-destun deddfwriaethol. Mae diben yr amcanion cadwraethol a’r cyngor ynghylch gweithrediadau a allai ddirywio neu amharu ar y nodweddion yr un fath ag yn y fersiynau blaenorol. Yn awr mae’r Amcanion Cadwraethol yn fwy hygyrch, ond ni chyflwynir unrhyw newid o ran yr hyn a ystyrir fel Statws Cadwraethol Ffafriol. Mae Tabl 1 yn rhestru’r nodweddion ar gyfer y safle a hefyd cynhwysir dolen sy’n arwain yn syth at yr Amcanion Cadwraethol, ond mae’n bwysig i’r holl adrannau gael eu darllen yn llwyr. Caiff yr adroddiad hwn ei rannu’n gyfres o adrannau, fel a ganlyn: Yn Adran 1 ceir cyflwyniad byr i gyd-destun cyfreithiol cyngor Rheoliad 37. Mae Adran 2 yn esbonio’n fwy manwl y sylfaen gyfreithiol a’r gofynion ymarferol wrth bennu amcanion cadwraethol ar gyfer safleoedd Natura 2000, fel y’u deellir gan CNC. Ymhellach, mae’n esbonio’r sylfaen gyfreithiol ac ymarferol parthed cyngor ynghylch gweithrediadau. Mae Adran 3 yn cynnwys disgrifiad cyffredinol byr o