ABP Southampton Environmental Statement for Port of Southampton: Berth 201/202 Works Appendix E Review of Nature Conservation Designations Appendix E Review of Nature Conservation Designations Environmental Statement for Port of Southampton: Berth 201/202 Works Appendices Appendix E. Review of Nature Conservation Designations The following sections review the sites of international, national and local designated nature conservation interest in the study area and the non-statutory Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs) that are relevant to the impact assessment. Ramsar Sites Under the 1972 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, it is a requirement of signatory states to protect wetland sites of international importance, including those that are important waterfowl habitats. The boundaries of the Ramsar sites in the study area are included in Figure 6.1 of the main Environmental Statement (ES) document. Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar Site The Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar Site, covering 5346ha, was designated in October 1998. The site comprises estuaries and adjacent coastal habitats, including intertidal flats, saline lagoons, shingle beaches, saltmarsh, reedbeds, damp woodland, and grazing marsh. The different habitats support internationally important numbers of wintering waterfowl, important breeding gull and tern populations and an important assemblage of rare invertebrates and plants. The Solent and Southampton Water was designated a Ramsar site by meeting the qualifying criteria outlined below: Criterion 1: The site is one of the few major sheltered channels between a substantial island and mainland in European waters, exhibiting an unusual strong double tidal flow with long periods of slack water at high and low tide. It comprises many wetland habitats characteristic of the biogeographic region: saline lagoons, saltmarshes, estuaries, intertidal flats, shallow coastal waters, grazing marshes, reedbeds, coastal woodland and rocky boulder reefs; Criterion 2: The site supports an important assemblage of rare plants and invertebrates. At least 33 British Red Data Book invertebrates and at least eight British Red Data Book plants are represented on site; Criterion 5: Supports internationally important assemblages of overwintering waterfowl; and Criterion 6: Used regularly by species/populations occurring at levels of international importance. Qualifying species/populations (as identified at designation) that have peak counts in spring/autumn are ringed plover. Those having peak counts in winter are, dark-bellied Brent goose, Eurasian teal and black-tailed godwit. Portsmouth Harbour Ramsar Site Portsmouth Harbour Ramsar Site, covering 1249ha, was designated in February 1995. The harbour is a large industrialised estuary and includes large areas of mudflats, supporting eelgrass beds, and tidal R/3754/1 E.1 R.1494 Environmental Statement for Port of Southampton: Berth 201/202 Works Appendices creeks. The site supports internationally important numbers of wintering and nationally important numbers of waterfowl. Portsmouth Harbour was designated a Ramsar site by meeting the qualifying criteria outlined below: Criterion 3: The intertidal mudflat areas possess extensive eelgrass beds supporting the grazing dark-bellied Brent geese populations. The site also includes a number of saline lagoons hosting nationally important species; and Criterion 6: Used regularly by species/populations occurring at levels of international importance. Qualifying species/population (as identified at designation) that has peak counts in winter is the dark-bellied Brent goose. Chichester and Langstone Harbours Ramsar Site Chichester and Langstone Harbours Ramsar Site, covering 5810ha, was designated in October 1987. The harbours are large, sheltered estuarine basins comprising extensive mud and sand flats exposed at low tide. The site is of particular significance for over-wintering wildfowl and waders and also a wide range of coastal and transitional habitats supporting important plant and animal communities. Chichester and Langstone Harbours were designated a Ramsar site by meeting the qualifying criteria outlined below: Criterion 1: Two large estuarine basins linked by the channel which divides Hayling Island from the main Hampshire coastline. The site includes intertidal mudflats, saltmarsh, sand and shingle spits and sand dunes; Criterion 5: Supports internationally important assemblages of overwintering waterfowl; Criterion 6: Used regularly by species/populations occurring at levels of international importance. Qualifying species/populations (as identified at designation) that have peak counts in spring/autumn are ringed plover, black-tailed godwit and common redshank. Qualifying species/populations (as identified at designation) that have peak counts in winter are dark- bellied Brent geese, common shelduck, grey plover and dunlin. Species/populations identified subsequent to designation for future consideration that are regularly supported during the breeding season are the little tern. New Forest Ramsar Site The New Forest Ramsar Site, covering 28,003ha, was designated in September 1993. The New Forest is an area of semi-natural vegetation including valley mires, fens and wet heath. Other wetland habitats include numerous ponds and a network of small streams mainly acidic in character, which have no lowland equivalent in the UK. The New Forest was designated a Ramsar site by meeting the qualifying criteria outlined below: R/3754/1 E.2 R.1494 Environmental Statement for Port of Southampton: Berth 201/202 Works Appendices Criterion 1: Valley mires and wet heaths are found throughout the site and are of outstanding scientific interest. The mires and heaths are within catchments whose uncultivated and undeveloped state buffer the mires against adverse ecological change. This is the largest concentration of intact valley mires of their type in Britain; Criterion 2: The site supports a diverse assemblage of wetland plants and animals including several nationally rare species. Seven species of nationally rare plant are found on the site, as are at least 65 British Red Data Book species of invertebrate; Criterion 3: The mire habitats are of high ecological quality and diversity and have undisturbed transition zones. The invertebrate fauna of the site is important due to the concentration of rare and scarce wetland species. The whole site complex, with its examples of semi-natural habitats is essential to the genetic and ecological diversity of southern England. Special Protection Areas The EC Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) requires all member states to identify areas to be given special protection for the rare or vulnerable waterbird species listed in Annex 1 (Article 4.1) and for regularly occurring migratory species (Article 4.2) and for the protection of wetlands, especially wetlands of international importance. The boundaries of the SPA sites in the study area are included in Figure 6.1 of the main ES document. Solent and Southampton Water SPA The Solent and Southampton Water SPA, covering 5506ha, was designated in October 1998. The SPA comprises 48% tidal rivers, estuaries, mudflats, sandflats and lagoons (including saltwork basins), 18% saltmarshes, salt pastures and salt steppes, 17% humid and mesophile grassland, 10% shingle, sea cliffs and islets, 3% bog, marsh, water fringed vegetation and fens, 3% coastal sand dunes, sand beaches and machair, and 1% broad-leaved deciduous woodland. The Solent and Southampton Water SPA qualifies under the EC Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) given that it achieves the following: Article 4.1 - regularly supports an internationally important population of breeding Annex I species, comprising Mediterranean gull, little tern, roseate tern, common tern, sandwich tern; and Article 4.2 - supports an internationally important assemblage of birds over winter, and internationally important populations of regularly occurring migratory species, including Eurasian teal, dark-bellied Brent goose, ringed plover, and black-tailed godwit. Portsmouth Harbour SPA The Portsmouth Harbour SPA, covering 1249ha, was designated in February 1995 and updated in February 1999. The SPA comprises 85% tidal rivers, estuaries, mudflats, sandflats and lagoons (including saltwork basins), 14% saltmarshes, salt pastures and salt steppes and 1% humid and mesophile grassland. R/3754/1 E.3 R.1494 Environmental Statement for Port of Southampton: Berth 201/202 Works Appendices Portsmouth Harbour SPA qualifies under the EC Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) given that it achieves the following: Article 4.2 - supports an internationally important overwintering population of dark-bellied Brent goose, dunlin, black-tailed godwit and red-breasted merganser. Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA The Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA, covering 5810ha, was designated in October 1987 and updated in February 1999. The SPA comprises 63% tidal rivers, estuaries, mudflats, sandflats and lagoons (including saltwork basins), 22% saltmarshes, salt pastures and salt steppes, 12% improved grassland, 2% humid and mesophile grassland, and 1% of a range of habitats, including broad-leaved deciduous woodland, bog, marsh, water fringed vegetation, fens and inland water bodies (standing water, running water). Chichester and Langstone Harbours SPA qualifies under the EC Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) given that it achieves the following: Article 4.1 - During the breeding season the area regularly supports little tern, common tern and sandwich