WIREDGOV

Natural England met earlier this week with Professor Bob Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser at DEFRA and members of the SAC evidence review panel to discuss the findings of the Independent Review of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) that Professor Watson and his team have conducted.

Natural England is pleased that the Review has confirmed that the evidence base that we have supplied to inform the designation of three candidate/possible candidate SACs (listed below) is robust and has been given a clean bill of health.

In endorsing the quality of our evidence base, the Review has also identified areas where some of our evidence handling processes could be improved or made more transparent. We welcome the focus that the Review provides and we are committed to implementing whatever improvements are required.  All of its recommendations have already been identified in letters that we sent to marine stakeholders in February, and we are already taking these recommendations forward through our evidence assurance project.

As the Government’s statutory adviser, it is imperative that all stakeholders are able to trust the evidence that Natural England uses and that underpins the designation of Marine Protected Areas. We are committed to ensuring that we have in place the processes that will enable them do so.

We hope this Independent Review allays the concerns expressed by some stakeholders. We know that stakeholders must have full confidence in the evidence we work with and we remain committed to working in partnership with marine stakeholders to deliver our contribution to a scientifically robust, coherent and effective UK network of Marine Protected Areas by March 2015.  We believe the Marine Evidence Review and the steps outlined above will play a very positive part in helping secure both these outcomes.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Independent Review of Special Areas of Conservation can be found here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/protect/mpa/

2. The three case studies covered by the review were:

a) Lyme Bay and Torbay candidate SAC submitted to the European Commission on 20 August 2010;

b) Prawle Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone candidate SAC submitted to the European Commission on 20 August 2010; and

c) Prawle Point to Start Point possible candidate SAC recommended for designation by Natural England to Defra on 1 June 2011.