WWT aerial research secures new SPAs for waterbirds
Ground-breaking aerial research conducted by WWT has helped to secure two new EU Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in Liverpool Bay and the Outer Thames Estuary by demonstrating how important these areas are for red-throated divers and common scoters.
The new marine SPAs which, between them, span more than half a million hectares, have been added to the previously designated Carmarthen Bay in Wales, which was also granted protected status following findings published by WWT.
Under the European Birds Directive, member states are obliged to classify and protect suitable sites for the conservation of birds.
Over the last decade, WWT and its consultancy have pioneered the use of aerial surveys in the UK to monitor waterbirds and seabirds at sea. These have provided the first comprehensive and accurate ornithological assessment of UK inshore waters and have identified important areas for designation as marine SPAs, ensured the appropriate siting of offshore wind farms, and resulted in several major ornithological discoveries.
In Liverpool Bay, the coastal waters stretching from Anglesey in Wales to the Lancashire coast now have protected status after WWT revealed how important they are for biodiversity. And after the Thames was found to be home to more than 10,000 red-throated divers – one of the largest concentrations in Europe – it was also designated SPA status.
The ground-breaking research - initiated by WWT’s Peter Cranswick and a small team to assess the effects of the Sea Empress oil spill in 1996 – has monitored vast areas from the air. And the findings have achieved a huge amount for conservation.
The surveys found:
Up to 50,000 common scoters over Shell Flat (located off the coast between Blackpool and Cleveleys). None were known to occur there before and the UK estimate for wintering common scoters was subsequently changed from 27,000 to over 100,000.
That scoters occur up to 20 km from shore (previously thought to be just a few km).
More than 10,000 red-throated divers in the Thames – one of the largest concentrations of divers in Europe. No-one had any idea about this previously.
Red-throated divers are widely distributed throughout near-shore waters – again, this wasn’t known previously.
In addition to helping to establish the SPAs, WWT’s research also prevented a proposed £300m windfarm development from destroying what is now known to be the UKs best common scoter site.
Futhermore, it shaped the Government’s decision to exclude any offshore wind farm developments in shallow waters (less than 10m deep) in Round 2 of its offshore wind power energy drive.
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