| Tayside Biodiversity - Tayside
Biodiversity Action Plan - Coastal - Estuaries |
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Fish
The Tay Estuary provides nursery grounds
for fish such as Dover sole Solea slea, Sand eel spp. and Herring
Clupea harengus. Several species use the estuary to migrate to their
freshwater spawning grounds such as Atlantic salmon Salmo
salar, Sea trout Salmo trutta and Twaite shad Alosa fallax. The Tay Estuary supports
one of only three spawning grounds for Sparling (smelt) Osmerus eperlanus in
Scotland.
This
inshore migratory fish was at one time widespread in many
estuaries. It is now restricted to just three in Scotland
- the River Cree, River Forth and River Tay. Its population
in the Tay Estuary has been very little studied and its ecology
not yet clearly understood. Sparling use gravel beds and
areas of small pebbles at the limit of the tidal limit in
which to spawn, the prime time for which is triggered by
the first full moon in March. As they are very selective
in choosing their spawning sites (using only clean estuaries)
they were, in the past, very susceptible to pollution.
There are at present three boats on the Tay which fish for
Sparling on a small scale between September and early March. |
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NATIONAL
BIODIVERSITY CONTEXT
There is a UK Broad Habitat Statement for Estuaries. This gives the following
conservation direction:
Maintain and enhance the extent and quality of estuarine habitats in the UK,
including the full diversity of estuarine communities.
Measures to be considered further include:
Protect estuaries from coastal development and other activities which cause
environmental damage.
Review the powers and duties of coastal and other authorities for safeguarding
this habitat.
Identify the full diversity of wildlife features and maintain the extent and
quality of this resource.
Promote management within the framework of SACs and other coastal zone strategies
which permit the natural functioning of sediment systems.
Improve water quality via catchment management and other pollution control
mechanisms.
Develop plans for new estuarine habitats to help compensate for losses because
of a rise in sea level.
Reduce the environmental impact of fisheries.
There are UK Habitat Action Plans for Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh; Coastal
Saltmarsh; Mudflats (revised); and Seagrass Beds. |
ECOLOGY
AND MANAGEMENT
Much survey work has been carried out in the Tay Estuary and
Montrose Basin as part of the designation processes and ongoing
monitoring.
A full habitat survey of all the estuarine habitats in Tayside is needed in
order to set up effective, area-wide monitoring, particularly for the areas not
subject to designation.
Site Condition Monitoring of SSSIs is carried out in a 6 year cycle. |
CURRENT FACTORS CAUSING LOSS OR
DECLINE
Land claim and development
Climate change and consequent sea level rise
Nutrient enrichment from farmland and waste effluent
Marine pollution
Human disturbance
Bait digging
The introduction of new or non-native species
Maintenance dredging
Shipping accidents
Beam trawlers and scallop dredgers
Waste tipping
Laying of cables and pipelines |
MAIN THREATS TO KEY SPECIES
| Common seal |
- Pollution
- Disturbance
- Future sea level rise |
| UK
importance of Tayside population: |
high |
| Otter |
- Pollution
- Disturbance
- Development |
| UK importance of Tayside population: |
moderate |
Bar-tailed
godwit |
- Habitat loss
- Disturbance
- Future sea-level rise |
| UK importance of Tayside population: |
high |
| Twaite shad |
National threats include
- Pollution
- Overfishing
- Habitat destruction
Specific threats in Tayside not known. Lack of information
makes it difficult to assess types and levels of threat. |
| UK importance of Tayside population: |
high |
Sparling
(smelt) |
- Disturbance of nursery
areas
Lack of information makes it difficult to assess levels
of threat. |
| UK importance of Tayside population: |
high |
Eelgrass
(Zostera) |
- Pollution
- Mobile fishing gear
- Development. |
| UK importance of Tayside population: |
moderate |
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OPPORTUNITIES AND CURRENT ACTION
The Tay Estuary Forum is developing a Management Plan
for the whole estuary
The pSAC Tay Estuary, if adopted as an SAC, will require a management scheme
for the designated area
There is a Montrose Basin Management Plan in place
Inner Tay Local Nature Reserve (LNR): Management Agreements and Prescriptions
are in place for landowners who have signed up to the LNR
All estuarine SSSIs are subject to conservation legislation |
OBJECTIVES & TARGETS
Objectives |
Targets |
1 |
Ensure no net loss in area
or reduction in quality of estuarine habitats in Tayside.
Where necessary and where possible improve estuarine
habitats in order for them to sustain typical estuarine
wildlife, especially those of international and national
importance. |
Encourage land managers and planners to
develop policies that will prevent loss of the quality
and quantity of the habitat by 2005. |
2 |
Meet and maintain Class A (Excellent)
water quality standards in all of the region’s
estuaries using the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
(SEPA) Classification Scheme to monitor chemical and
biological quality. |
All estuaries to have Class A water quality
by 2005.
Class A standard to be maintained beyond 2005. |
3 |
Establish adequate site safeguard policies
in relevant strategic and other plans, including organisations’ workplans,
such that decision-makers and users of estuaries take
account of the conservation of
biodiversity in all matters relating to estuarine habitats. |
Policies to be in all relevant plans by
2003. |
4 |
Maintain and protect the quality and integrity
of designated sites. Ensure that a comprehensive set
of management plans is completed and that monitoring
programmes are put in place. Seek to apply prescriptions
and principles to all estuarine habitats in
the region. |
Management plans to be written for all
designated areas by 2003. |
5 |
Set up a five-year programme to raise
awareness of biodiversity, its importance and the need
for its conservation in Tayside. Include estuaries in
this programme. |
Set up a public awareness programme by
2003.
Run public awareness programme until 2005. |
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