European Marine Sites are areas of the marine environment that have been designated for protection under European legislation. There are two types of designation: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for habitats and marine species, and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for bird species and their supporting habitats.
These are internationally important sites and it is part of NEIFCAs conservation duties to manage fishing activity within the EMSs in our District to ensure no adverse effect on the designated features.
European Marine Sites in the North East
There are 2 SACs and 5 SPAs within NEIFCAs jurisdiction. Some sites extend either beyond the 6 nautical mile limit of the District or the northern or southern boundaries of the district. Where this is the case, appropriate systems are in place to ensure continuity and consistency of management approaches.