East Mainland Coast, Shetland Proposed Special Protection Area

One of Europe’s best wildlife sites northern diver © Laurie Campbell Great East Mainland Coast, Shetland Proposed Special Protection Area

Our Scottish seas are rich in marine life and in winter, the waters off the east mainland coast of Shetland are a stronghold for great northern divers (over 7% of the wintering British (GB) population), and large concentrations of grebes and sea ducks. In the summer months, these waters also provide rich feeding grounds for over 15% of the GB population of breeding red-throated divers. The area shown below is proposed as a Special Protection Area (SPA) because it supports these important wintering populations of great northern diver, common eider, Slavonian grebe, long-tailed duck and red-breasted merganser as well as an important breeding population of red-throated diver. The proposed SPA will help protect the birds themselves as well as the rich feeding grounds and sheltered waters on which they depend.

SULLOM VOE

Bruray

Muckle Roe Whalsay DURY VOE

Shetland Mainland SOUTH NESTING BAY

NORTH SEA

Proposed SPA (excluding islands)

0 2.5 5 10 Km

Bressay © Crown copyright and database rights 2016 OS 100017908 © Intermap NEXTMap Lerwick 0 2.5 5 10 Miles Location: 60º 12.824' N 001º 09.043' W Area: 256 km2 1 2 © Laurie Campbell

1 Red-throated diver; 2 Red-breasted merganser; 3 Common eider

The proposed SPA encompasses the marine Proposed qualifying waters to the east of mainland Shetland, from interests: Samphrey in the north to Aith Ness in the south.

Breeding Shetland’s east coast is relatively sheltered. Cliffs dominate, interspersed with sandy beaches and Red-throated diver bays. The sea depth is quite shallow along this coastline with a mixture of sand, mud and gravel Non-breeding forming the sea bed. These habitats support a rich Common eider diversity of fish and invertebrates (such as marine Great northern diver worms, crabs and mussels). Long-tailed duck As well as large numbers of great northern and Red-breasted merganser red-throated divers, this rich and productive marine Slavonian grebe area attracts about 5% of the GB Slavonian grebe population, over 4% of the GB eider population and supports one of the largest concentrations of long-tailed duck (1.5% of GB population) and red- breasted merganser (2.8% of GB population) in eastern Scotland. Divers, grebes and sea duck feed by surface diving, so these rich, shallow and sheltered waters provide excellent foraging and resting habitats for both wintering and breeding birds. Common eider are present all year round with males forming moulting © Crown copyright and database rights 2016 OS 100017908 © Intermap NEXTMap flocks as early as May. Making a response and further information

To make a response online or for more information about the proposals please go to www.snh.gov.uk/MarineBirdSPAs. If you are unable to make an online response, please contact us and we will send you a copy of the response form. Email: [email protected] Phone: 01463 725025 Post: Marine Bird SPAs Consultation, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8NW

1 Slavonian grebe; 2 Long-tailed duck