SNH Fodderty Way Business Park Site of Special Scientific Interest Dingwall IV15 9XB SITE MANAGEMENT STATEMENT Tel. 01349 865333 Site code: 467 email [email protected]

Purpose This is a public statement prepared by SNH for owners and occupiers of the SSSI. It outlines the reasons it is designated as a SSSI and provides guidance on how its special natural features should be conserved or enhanced. This Statement does not affect or form part of the statutory notification and does not remove the need to apply for consent for operations requiring consent. We welcome your views on this statement.

Description of the site

The is a large estuary draining to the in north-east . It stretches for 25 kilometres from the mouth of the River Conon at to the Sutors. It is a narrow estuary with a deep-water channel extending to . Nigg and Udale Bays provide the most extensive areas of intertidal habitat. The rocky promontories of the north and south Sutor mark the entrance to the firth in contrast with the low-lying nature of the rest of the surrounding land.

The site has been notified as a SSSI for its intertidal sand and mud flats, saltmarsh habitats and for its nationally important populations of wintering whooper swan, bar- tailed godwit, wigeon, redshank and red-breasted merganser.

The Cromarty Firth has also been designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) because it is used by internationally important breeding populations of osprey and common tern and wintering populations of whooper swan, bar-tailed godwits and greylag geese. It is of European importance for its overall wintering waterfowl assemblage including wigeon, pintail, scaup, red-breasted merganser, oystercatcher, knot, dunlin, curlew and redshank.

All the notified features are currently in favourable condition apart from the saltmarsh habitat, the wintering population of whooper swans and scaup and the use by breeding common terns.

When monitoring was carried out in 2001 the non-native plant, common cord grass Spartina anglica, was present among saltmarsh vegetation in Dingwall Bay, and Udale Bay. This species can adversely affect saltmarsh habitats if not controlled.

Populations of whooper swans and scaup in the Cromarty Firth vary considerably from

1 year to year in line with wider population changes, weather etc. The population of breeding terns in the Cromarty Firth has been affected by changes in suitable nest site availability and human disturbance but artificial nest sites have now been created in suitable locations.

Oil Rigs in the Cromarty Firth Greylag goose

Natural features of Condition of feature Other relevant Cromarty Firth SSSI (and date monitored) designations

Bar-tailed godwit Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2009) Red-breasted merganser Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2000) Redshank Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2009) Wigeon Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2009) Whooper swan Unfavourable, no change SPA (February 2001) Saltmarsh Unfavourable, recovering (August 2001) Mudflats Favourable, maintained (September 2008) Sandflats Favourable, maintained (September 2008)

Features of overlapping Condition of feature SPA or SAC Cromarty Firth SPA that are not (date monitored) notified as SSSI natural features Common tern Unfavourable, declining SPA (June 2000) Curlew* Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2009) Dunlin* Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2001) Greylag goose Favourable, maintained SPA (November 2001)

2 Knot* Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2000) Osprey Favourable, maintained SPA (October 2004) Oystercatcher* Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2001) Pintail* Favourable, maintained SPA (February 2000) Scaup* Unfavourable, no change SPA (February 2000) Waterfowl assemblage Favourable, maintained SPA * indicates assemblage qualifier (February 2000) only

Past and present management The Cromarty Firth has been, and continues to be, of major importance for the economic development of the Highlands in general and Easter Ross in particular.

The deep water channel and sheltered nature of the Firth has meant that it has always been of considerable importance for shipping and trade, although active harbours now exist only at Cromarty and . Most shipping is now associated with the oil industry. Nigg contains facilities for the fabrication, maintenance and decommissioning of North Sea oil structures as well as the storage and shipment of oil by tankers., Invergordon is a focus for the servicing and mooring of mobile drill rigs and the Deephaven jetty at Evanton also receives oil industry related marine traffic. There has been recent diversification at Nigg to service offshore renewable developments. Invergordon has also recently become established as a port of call for cruise liners and the number of liners visiting the Firth has steadily increased. A small vehicle ferry operates between Cromarty and Nigg. Harbour activities are managed by the Cromarty Firth Port Authority.

Several significant settlements exist on the north shore of the Firth (eg at Dingwall, , Invergordon) and a wide range of industries have been developed including several distilleries. These require a range of infrastructure within or adjacent to the estuary with potential impacts on water quality. There is an ongoing major programme of investment in updating and renewing many of the sewage outfalls and discharges around the firth such as at Cromarty, Barbaraville, , and between Alness and Invergordon. This is resulting in improved water quality.

Local people have collected shellfish (primarily cockles and mussels) from the shores of Nigg and Udale Bays for a long time. Traditionally this was done by hand but in the 1990s there were proposals for commercial harvesting of cockles in Nigg Bay, either dredging by boat or by tractor drawn cockle harvesters. Uncontrolled commercial shellfish collection and associated disturbance can reduce the availability of essential food supplies for wintering bird populations and, since 1995, harvesting of marine invertebrates by mechanical means has been prevented under the Nigg and Udale Bays Nature Conservation Order 1995 and its Amendment Order 1996. Small scale informal collection of shellfish by hand continues at a low level. The collection of ragworm bait for fishing also takes place.

There are no active fish farms in the Firth but a small mussel and oyster farm operated recently between Cromarty and Jemimaville. The former salmon netting stations at

3 Dingwall and Alness have ceased operation.

The Firth has been an important source of recreation and relaxation for local people for centuries. A wide range of recreation activities are practised such as wildfowling, boating, walking, bird watching and angling. These activities generally take place with no significant adverse effects on the natural heritage. The Firth is an important area for wildlife tourism with bird watching hides at Nigg and Udale Bays, seal viewing at Foulis and outstanding opportunities for viewing bottlenose dolphins at the Sutors.

Nigg Bay has been recognised as being of importance for nature conservation since the late 1940s and a National Nature Reserve was established there in 1978. This is now part of the more extensive RSPB Reserve. Active management of land within the SSSI is now largely restricted to this Reserve.

A major coastal realignment project has recently been completed at Meddat in Nigg Bay which demonstrated the issues and methods appropriate to responding to sea level changes on the coast. This project involved the breach of the sea wall to create a range of mudflat and saltmarsh communities. Grazing of coastal marsh occurs at Udale Bay and Nigg Bay. RSPB are controlling the non-native common cord grass in Udale Bay and giant hogweed near Alness. They have also installed an artificial tern nesting raft at Foulis.

Objectives for Management (and key factors influencing the condition of natural features)

We wish to work with the owner to protect the site and to maintain and where necessary enhance its features of special interest. We aim carry out site survey, monitoring and research as appropriate to increase our knowledge and understanding of the site and its natural features and monitor the effectiveness of the management.

The EU Habitats and Birds Directives oblige Government to avoid, in SAC and SPAs, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species, as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of these Directives. The objectives below have been assessed against these requirements. All authorities proposing to carry out or permit to be carried out operations likely to have a significant effect on the European interests of this SSSI must assess those operations against the relevant Natura conservation objectives (which are listed on our website through the SNHi - SiteLink facility). 1. To maintain the extent and enhance the condition of intertidal habitats by, for example: • Seasonal grazing of saltmarsh habitats where appropriate • Control of non-native invasive plant species (common cord grass and giant hogweed) • Carrying out further managed realignment projects where feasible • Avoiding the deployment of hard coastal defences • Taking action to prevent the use of motor vehicles and / or dumping on the foreshore 2. To maintain conditions required to support important bird populations by, for

4 example: • Managing disturbance through the provision of information and wildlife watching facilities where disturbance will be minimal • Managing disturbance from other users of the Firth • Ensuring that all wildfowling is practised sustainably. • Maintaining or improving water quality • Providing disturbance-free nesting areas for breeding terns

Other factors affecting the natural features of the site

Breeding success and food availability throughout the year, as well as climatic factors in other parts of their range, will all affect the number of birds using the site. In addition the plants and invertebrates which form the food base for the wintering bird population will vary naturally in their availability and abundance. Large scale trends in climate and sea level change may also affect this site. For example, small change in tidal heights could affect the distribution of habitats within this site.

Date last reviewed: 16 March 2011

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