Management Plan for Hermaness National Nature Reserve 2016-2026 For more information on Hermaness NNR contact: Reserve manager, Scottish Natural Heritage Ground Floor, Stewart Building Alexandra Wharf Lerwick ZE1 0LL Tel: 01595 693345 Email:[email protected] Management Plan for Hermaness National Nature Reserve Plan Details Start 01-Apr-2016 End 31-Mar-2026 Sign Off Kristen Scott Introduction Hermaness National Nature Reserve (NNR) is one of a suite of NNRs in Scotland. Scotland’s NNRs are special places for nature, where some of the best examples of Scotland’s wildlife are managed. Every NNR is carefully managed both for nature and for people, giving visitors the opportunity to experience our rich natural heritage. Scottish Natural Heritage is responsible for the management of Hermaness NNR. ‘The Story of Hermaness National Nature Reserve’ is a companion publication which has more information about the reserve and its history. The Story provides the foundation for managing the site and we recommend it for those wishing to understand more about the management of this very special place. In 2016, we carried out a review of our last Plan for Hermaness NNR. This, together with management plan workshops and specialist advice, was used to develop our future management proposals and inform the preparation of a draft Management Plan for 2016-2026, which we opened for public consultation. Your feedback informed the completion of this Management Plan. The first section of this Plan gives our vision for Hermaness describing how we would like to see the Reserve in the future. It specifies our objectives for management and outlines projects planned to deliver these objectives. During the final year of the plan, we will review our progress against this plan to determine the future direction of our management on the reserve. Site description Hermaness National Nature Reserve (NNR) stands at the most northerly point of Britain amidst the wild Shetland landscape and exposed to the harsh North Atlantic Ocean. Magnificent cliffs adorn most of the reserve coastline and are host to more than one hundred thousand breeding seabirds - one of the largest seabird colonies in Britain. The seabird colony is internationally important and supports particularly large numbers of gannet and the world's third largest colony of great skua. Guillemot, puffin and fulmar also breed on the reserve in large numbers and during the summer, the seascape is alive with streams of busy auks and gannets providing food for their offspring. 1 Inland, blanket bog covers much of the terrain and secluded bog pools provide nesting habitat for breeding red-throated divers. The NNR covers most of the headland of Herma Ness, with the exception of former croft land at Burrafirth, together with Muckle Flugga and the surrounding stacks, including Britain's most northerly outlier - Out Stack. The northern part of the headland and the stacks were first declared an NNR in 1955 under agreements with the Buness estate and the Northern Lighthouse Board. The reserve was extended to the south in 1958 under a second agreement with the estate. SNH and its forerunners have employed a seasonal site manager/warden every year since 1985 to monitor the seabirds and manage visitors. In 1994 SNH bought one of the former lighthouse keepers' flats in the Muckle Flugga Shore Station, a short distance from the reserve entrance, to provide accommodation for the warden and a Visitor Centre. The reserve attracts around 6000 visitors a year, making it one of Shetland's most visited attractions, and it is an important asset for the tourism industry in Unst. The months of June to August are the busiest for visitors, most of whom are attracted by the seabird colonies. Others come to experience the scenery and wildness of the northernmost corner of Britain and the reserve has small numbers of visitors even in the winter months. 2 1 Our Vision for Hermaness NNR Hermaness is widely recognised as an important natural heritage asset for the community and rural economy of Unst and Shetland. It is an unspoilt, wild landscape whose magnificent sea cliffs host one of the largest seabird colonies in Britain. It offers excellent opportunities for a wide range of visitors to experience nature through recreation and education. Hermaness draws many tourists to Unst, and links with other local facilities and attractions to encourage visitors to base themselves on the island. The community is engaged in the management of the reserve, which it values for this contribution to the local economy and for the benefits it provides in terms of well-being and their enjoyment and understanding of local history, culture and the natural heritage. At the reserve entrance an improved visitor facility, appropriate to the location, welcomes visitors and provides a range of interpretation to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the reserve. Durable and unobtrusive paths provide access around the reserve whilst protecting the fragile blanket bog from damage and conserving the wild character and scenic qualities of this part of the Shetland National Scenic Area. Signage and other infrastructure is kept to the minimum necessary for visitor safety and species protection. The reserve is actively managed in partnership with the landowner and graziers to achieve a balance between crofting and conservation aims. Despite inevitable changes in their numbers as a result of climate change and shifting food resources, Hermaness still supports important populations of gannet, puffin, fulmar, guillemot, shag and kittiwake. The long-term monitoring of the birds' numbers and breeding success contributes to our understanding of the health of the wider marine environment. Inland, the extensive moorland provides undisturbed nesting habitat for great skuas, red-throated divers and waders. An increased extent of active blanket bog helps mitigate climate change by absorbing carbon, whilst native trees planted in sheltered locations have recreated a lost scrub habitat, enhancing biodiversity and providing a glimpse of Shetland's environment in past millennia. 3 2 Natural Heritage Management Protected Areas and special features Hermaness has been designated for its wildlife interest at UK, European and international level. It forms part of the larger Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field Special Protection Area (SPA) which means that Hermaness is recognised as part of a European site of international importance and belongs to a Europe wide network of areas referred to as 'Natura' sites. This extremely important group of sites includes other seabird hotspots such as Skomer Island off the Welsh coast, the Portuguese Berlenga and Farilhoes Islands, and Cape Corse Point, a reserve in the north of Corsica. This reinforces the message that Hermaness can be considered as being amongst the best sites in Europe. At a national level, Hermaness is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the reserve forms part of the Shetland National Scenic Area (NSA). The Tonga-Greff area on the south-west coast of Hermaness is also a Geological Conservation Review site (GCR). Whilst managing Hermaness NNR we have to take account of our legal obligations and Government policy to manage features that are listed as important in a European or international context. Where a project is likely to have a significant effect on one or more of the qualifying features of the SPA, we will carry out an 'appropriate assessment'. This includes all projects, whether they are direct habitat management or providing a new visitor facility on the reserve. We will only proceed with projects that do not adversely affect the interests. Likewise, we will also take account of obligations to manage features that are valued as important in a British context, as well as features that are locally important. Feature Protected Area Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), Hermaness SSSI breeding Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA Gannet (Morus bassanus), Hermaness SSSI breeding Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA Great skua (Stercorarius skua), Hermaness SSSI breeding Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA Hermaness SSSI Guillemot (Uria aalge), breeding Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA breeding Puffin (Fratercula arctica), Hermaness SSSI 4 breeding Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA Red-throated diver (Gavia Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA stellata), breeding Seabird assemblage, breeding Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA Seabird colony, breeding Hermaness SSSI Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), Hermaness, Saxa Vord and Valla Field SPA breeding Mineralogy of Scotland Hermaness SSSI 5 Objective NH1: To monitor the internationally and nationally important seabird populations on Hermaness NNR and maintain their nesting sites Hermaness is one of the most important seabird colonies in Europe with over 100,000 birds belonging to 16 breeding species present in the summer months. Monitoring the numbers and breeding success of key species gives us a picture of the wellbeing of seabird populations and of the marine environment. Most of the seabirds nest on the cliffs where they are relatively safe from ground predators, but puffin burrows on the cliff tops and grassy slopes and other birds nesting among cliff foot boulders or on the moorland are vulnerable to predation by hedgehogs, rats and feral cats and we need to develop ways to reduce this. Greylag geese have recently begun nesting on the reserve and this has raised concern about their possible aggression towards nesting red-throated divers. Human disturbance can also affect nesting birds, particularly the rarer and more sensitive species, so we will continue to direct visitors away from areas where this might be a problem. Projects planned to deliver Objective NH1 during life of plan: Continue six-yearly census of important seabird populations, NH1.1 particularly the puffins in view of their recent national decline. Continue annual productivity monitoring of important seabird NH1.2 populations, where practicable.