2016 consultation on possible Special Areas of Conservation for harbour porpoise Post-Consultation Report JNCC Report 597 Harbour porpoise © Neil Golding September 2016 This report should be cited: IAMMWG (2016). 2016 Consultation on possible Special Areas of Conservation for Harbour Porpoise: Post-Consultation Report. JNCC Report number 597. JNCC, Peterborough. 1 Advice to Government Summary 2016 consultation on possible Special Areas of Conservation for harbour porpoise Below is a summary of recommendations following the public consultations carried out by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), with support from Natural England (NE) between 19 January and 3 May 2016 on behalf of themselves and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), regarding proposals for five Special Areas of Conservation for harbour porpoise submitted to Government in June 2015. The consultation documents are available here: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/sacconsultation www.naturalresources.wales/mn2k The consultations concerned: 1. The scientific case for the designation of: Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren pSAC West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol pSAC North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol pSAC North Channel pSAC Southern North Sea pSAC 2. The assessment of the likely economic and social impact of the designation of each site as well as the network of sites. This summary should be used in conjunction with the full advice in Section 6 of this report. Summary of Advice: Responses were received from organisations and businesses covering the breadth of relevant interest groups, individuals, and campaigns from two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). We thank all those who took time to respond and for the comments received. These comments have been fully considered and the joint responses of the Country Nature Conservation Bodies (CNCBs) are presented. In light of this process, the CNCBs make the following advice to Ministers to inform their decision on designation: There was a majority of support for the designation of the five pSACs from those who responded. For individual sites, the majority of respondents agreed that the scientific evidence supported the designations. Some of the agreement was caveated. As a result, the summary recommendations are as follows: Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren pSAC No boundary changes are recommended to the original proposals. Issues were raised through the consultation regarding data and modelling for this site. Further data were offered during the consultation, but assessment of these data concluded that a new analysis was not justified. CNCBs believe that these data would not increase the confidence in the model output enough for the area of interest to be included in the boundary. West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol pSAC No boundary changes are recommended to the original proposals. 2 North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol pSAC No boundary changes are recommended to the original proposals. North Channel pSAC No boundary changes are recommended to the original proposals. Southern North Sea pSAC No boundary changes are recommended to the original proposals. Issues were raised through the consultation regarding data and modelling for this site. Further data were offered. Assessment of these issues and data concluded that a new analysis was not justified. CNCBs agreed that there would be little change in the identified boundary by inclusion of these data. Impact Assessment All responses received with regard to the Evidence Base supporting the Impact Assessment were fully considered by the CNCBs and our expert contractor (ABPmer). Where necessary, the Evidence Base was updated. However, these updates have resulted in no significant changes to the Impact Assessment and it remains as per the consultation. 3 Cyngor i Lywodraeth Crynodeb Ymgynghoriad 2016 ynghylch Ardaloedd Cadwraeth Arbennig ar gyfer llamidyddion. Isod ceir crynodeb o argymhellion yn dilyn yr ymgynghoriadau cyhoeddus a gynhaliwyd gan y Cydbwyllgor Gwarchod Natur (JNCC) a Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru (CNC), gyda chymorth gan Natural England (NE) rhwng 19 Ionawr a 3 Mai 2016 ar eu rhan eu hunain a’r Adran Amaethyddiaeth, yr Amgylchedd a Materion Gwledig (DAERA), ynghylch cynigion ar gyfer pum Ardal Cadwraeth Arbennig ar gyfer llamidyddion a gyflwynwyd i'r Llywodraeth ym mis Mehefin 2015. Mae'r dogfennau ymgynghori i’w cael yma: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/sacconsultation www.cyfoethnaturiol.cymru/mn2k Yr oedd yr ymgynghoriadau ynghylch: 1. Y sail wyddonol ar gyfer dynodi: ACAa Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren ACAa West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol ACAa North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol ACAa North Channel ACAa Southern North Sea 2. Asesiad o effaith economaidd a chymdeithasol tebygol dynodi pob safle yn ogystal â’r rhwydwaith o safleoedd. Dylai'r crynodeb hwn gael ei ddefnyddio ar y cyd â'r cyngor llawn yn Adran 6 yr adroddiad hwn. Crynodeb o’r Cyngor: Cafwyd ymatebion gan sefydliadau a busnesau sy'n cwmpasu amrywiaeth o grwpiau perthnasol â budd, unigolion, ac ymgyrchoedd dau Sefydliad Anllywodraethol. Diolch i bawb a gymerodd amser i ymateb ac am y sylwadau a gafwyd. Mae'r sylwadau hyn wedi’u hystyried yn llawn a chaiff cydymatebion Cyrff Cadwraeth Natur y Gwledydd eu cyflwyno. Yng ngoleuni'r broses hon, mae Cyrff Cadwraeth Natur y Gwledydd yn cyflwyno’r cyngor canlynol i’r Gweinidogion i’w cyfarwyddo yn eu penderfyniad ynghylch dynodi: Roedd mwyafrif y rhai a ymatebodd yn gefnogol i ddynodi’r pum ACAa. Ar gyfer safleoedd unigol, cytunodd y rhan fwyaf o'r ymatebwyr fod y dystiolaeth wyddonol yn cefnogi'r dynodiadau. Roedd amodau ynghlwm wrth gefnogaeth rhai ymatebwyr i’r dynodiadau. O ganlyniad, mae’r argymhellion cryno fel a ganlyn: ACAa Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i’r ffiniau’n cael eu hargymell i'r cynigion gwreiddiol. Crybwyllwyd materion drwy’r ymgynghoriad ynghylch data a modelu ar gyfer y safle hwn. Cynigwyd rhagor o ddata yn ystod yr ymgynghoriad, ond wedi asesu’r data daethpwyd i’r casgliad na ellid cyfiawnhau cynnal dadansoddiad 4 newydd. Nid yw Cyrff Cadwraeth Natur y Gwledydd yn credu y byddai'r data’n gwella hyder yng nghanlyniadau’r model yn ddigonol ar gyfer cynnwys yr ardal o ddiddordeb yn y ffin. ACAa West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i’r ffiniau’n cael eu hargymell i’r cynigion gwreiddiol. ACAa North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i’r ffiniau’n cael eu hargymell i’r cynigion gwreiddiol. ACAa North Channel Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i’r ffiniau’n cael eu hargymell i'r cynigion gwreiddiol. ACAa Southern North Sea Nid oes unrhyw newidiadau i’r ffiniau’n cael eu hargymell i’r cynigion gwreiddiol. Crybwyllwyd materion drwy’r ymgynghoriad ynghylch data a modelu ar gyfer y safle hwn. Cynigwyd rhagor o ddata yn ystod yr ymgynghoriad. Aseswyd y materion a’r data a daethpwyd i’r casgliad na ellid cyfiawnhau cynnal dadansoddiad newydd. Mae Cyrff Cadwraeth Natur y Gwledydd wedi cytuno mai ychydig o newid a fyddai yn y ffin a bennwyd trwy gynnwys y data yma. Asesiad o’r Effaith Cafodd yr holl ymatebion a dderbyniwyd mewn perthynas â’r Sylfaen Tystiolaeth sy’n ategu’r Asesiad o’r Effaith eu hystyried yn llawn gan Gyrff Cadwraeth Natur y Gwledydd a’n contractwr arbenigol (ABPmer). Lle bo angen, diweddarwyd y Sylfaen Tystiolaeth. Fodd bynnag, nid yw’r diweddariadau hyn wedi arwain at unrhyw newidiadau sylweddol i'r Asesiad o’r Effaith ac mae’n parhau i fod yn unol â'r ymgynghoriad. 5 Acknowledgements: The Inter-Agency Marine Mammal Working Group (IAMMWG) comprises representatives of the UK Country Nature Conservation Bodies (CNCBs). The following people were involved in the work that led to this report, on behalf of their organisations, and are acknowledged as follows: Joint Nature Conservation Committee, JNCC Mark Tasker – IAMMWG chair Eunice Pinn Kelly Macleod Lindis Bergland Nikki Taylor Alice Doyle Natural England, NE Jim Robinson Rebecca Walker Fiona McNie Natural Resources Wales, NRW Adam Cole-King Tom Stringell Ceri Morris Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Northern Ireland), DAERA Stephen Foster Carol O’Boyle Support was received from Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH: John Baxter; Karen Hall; Sarah Cunningham and Greg Mudge. Thanks also to Catarina Aires and Michelle Watson (JNCC); Louisa Knights (NE); Dafydd Parry (NRW) and Owen McGrath (SNH) for their input, past and present. Finally, acknowledgement goes to the Project Board, comprised of representatives of the Governments of the UK and their agencies who steered and advised IAMMWG on the project. 6 Contents 1 Introduction and background ............................................................................................................. 8 2 Purpose of the consultation and how it was carried out ..................................................................... 9 2.1 The purpose of the consultation ................................................................................................. 9 2.2 How the consultation was carried out ......................................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Conduct of the consultations ............................................................................................. 10 2.2.2 Consultation documentation and supporting information ................................................... 12 2.3 Process for post-consultation