Allan Whyte, RSPB Scotland Marine Policy Officer, tells us why May 21st is his favourite day of the year.
It's the most wonderful time of the year...
You’re probably reading this bleary-eyed, clutching a cup of coffee. I too was kept awake by excitement knowing that today is Natura 2000 day (it’s also International Waiter/Waitress Day and International Memo Day). The day when people all over the world feast, drink, embrace merriment and good will, celebrating a landmark piece of European legislation passed in 1992.
So what exactly are we celebrating? In May 1992 EU Governments adopted the Habitats Directive, a pivotal piece of legislation which complemented the 1979 Birds Directive. Central to both of these Directives was the establishment of a network of protected areas to safeguard the most vulnerable species and habitats, this network is known as Natura 2000.
The Birds Directive requires Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to be established to protect birds and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are required under the Habitats Directive.
Today, around 20% of European territory is protected, quite a feat when you consider how densely populated the continent is. However, for all the good offered by protected areas, biodiversity is still in decline, the main caused mainly by human activity.
Seabirds are the group of species under greatest threat in Scotland. We’ve lost half of our internationally important seabird populations since 1986 with kittiwakes, Arctic skuas and Arctic terns suffering some of the steepest declines.
Climate change is the biggest factor driving the drop in numbers due to the impact of warming seas on the marine food chain. Many seabirds like nothing more than a tasty sandeel, a small fish found in our cooler waters. The food that sandeels eat has become less abundant, which has affected sandeel populations and ultimately the numbers of seabirds.
Although many of Scotland’s seabird breeding areas are protected by the Natura 2000 network, the areas they go to feed on sandeels have been left unprotected (since 1979!), thereby exacerbating a significant problem.
Last week RSPB Scotland produced a report suggesting a list of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) which should be urgently designated to protect seabird feeding areas. This is an action we feel is essential for building a network of both SPA sites and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect seabirds along our coasts and out to sea.
We are expecting an announcement on which MPAs (set up to protected species and habitats of Scottish importance) will be designated in June. If our proposed SPAs are established and additional MPAs are designated for nationally important seabird feeding areas, we can hope seabird populations will begin to recover. When, and if, this happens is a decision to be made in Holyrood, but time is scarce. Decisive action must be taken soon.
Having national designations (like MPAs) and international designations (like SPAs) are important to ensure that wildlife and habitats across Europe are properly protected. We need our Government to make sure that the right sites protect the right species and this is done in a timely manner.
The Natura 2000 network protects much of the wildlife we hold dear, so, celebrate tonight, treat yourself to meal and remember to send your waiter a memo wishing them a happy Natura 2000 day.