Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol Special Area of Conservation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol 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. e Contents Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Crynodeb ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 7 2. Purpose and format of information provided under Regulation 37 ........................................... 8 2.1 Conservation objectives Background ................................................................................ 8 2.1 Operations which may cause deterioration or disturbance .............................................. 11 3. Site Description ..................................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 13 3.2 Site Description ............................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Operations within the SAC .............................................................................................. 19 3.4 Modifications as a result of human activity ...................................................................... 19 4 Feature Descriptions ............................................................................................................. 21 4.1 Large Shallow Inlets and Bays ........................................................................................ 21 4.2 Estuaries ......................................................................................................................... 27 4.3 Reefs .............................................................................................................................. 37 4.4 Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) ....................................................................................... 43 4.5 Atlantic salt meadow ....................................................................................................... 46 4.6 Mud-flats and sand-flats not covered by seawater at low tide ......................................... 50 4.7 Coastal lagoons .............................................................................................................. 57 4.8 Submerged or partially submerged sea caves. ............................................................... 61 4.9 Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time ...................................... 66 4.10 Allis Shad (Alosa alosa) and Twaite shad (Alosa fallax) .............................................. 70 4.11 River lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) and Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) .............. 72 4.12 Otter (Lutra lutra) ......................................................................................................... 73 4.13 Shore dock (Rumex rupestris) ..................................................................................... 76 5 Conservation Objectives ....................................................................................................... 77 5.1 Vision statement for Pembrokeshire Marine .................................................................... 77 5.2 Conservation objectives for the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation .... 77 5.3 Understanding the Conservation Objectives ................................................................... 81 6 Advice as to operation which may cause deterioration or disturbance to the features ........... 84 7 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 112 Annexes ...................................................................................................................................... 117 Annex 1 Pembrokeshire Marine SAC feature map: interpretation guide ........................... 117 Annex 2 Glossary of Terms .............................................................................................. 121 Annex 3 List of SSSIs and SPAs partly or wholly with the SAC ........................................ 124 Annex 4 Elements of favourable conservation status ....................................................... 125 Page 2 of 131 www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Summary This document contains Natural Resources Wales’ (NRW) advice issued under Regulation 37 of the Conservation Regulations 2017, for the Pembrokeshire Marine 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 feature 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 summaries 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 Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation, current operations taking place with the SAC and information on modifications as a result of human activity. Section 4 describes habitats and species for which the Pembrokeshire Marine 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 designated 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 3 of 131 www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Table 1: Summary of site features and link to conservation objectives. Site Name Designated Features Conservation Objectives Habitats: • Sandbanks which are slightly covered by seawater all the time • Estuaries • Mudflats and sandflats not Pembrokeshire covered by seawater at low tide Conservation Objectives Marine SAC • Coastal lagoons • Large shallow inlets and bays • Reefs • Submerged or partially submerged sea caves • Atlantic salt meadows Species: • Grey seal Halichoerus grypus • Otter Lutra lutra • Allis shad Alosa alosa • Twaite shad Alosa fallax • River lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis • Sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus • Shore dock Rumex rupestris Page 4 of 131 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 Sir Benfro Forol, 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