Stage 8 - Management scheme. There can only be one statutory management scheme for each European marine site, but where SPAs and SACs overlap, the Habitats Regulations allow separate management schemes to be established for each site. Government guidance states however, that there will often be practical advantages in establishing a single management scheme to cover both. In such cases the specific management measures may vary in different parts of the whole area according to the respective nature conservation interests (DETR Guidance para 3.12).

The management scheme for the Severn Estuary European marine site will provide a management scheme for the SPA, in the context of the ongoing pSAC and Ramsar issues. It will not at this time specifically consider the features and sub-features of the Ramsar or pSAC. However, many of the activities identified as causing deterioration or disturbance to the SPA features and sub-features, will also be applicable to the features of the pSAC and Ramsar. This means that where pSAC and Ramsar features are coincident with the SPA features and sub-features, they will be protected by management prescriptions contained within the management scheme. Should the SAC be submitted to the European Commission as a cSAC at some point in the future, ASERA will have to decide on how to best address the management of additional nature conservation features and sub-features within this designation. In addition, ASERA will have to decide on how best to address the management of additional nature conservation features and sub-features of the Ramsar designation.

Find out about the stages in greater detail:
Stage1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8

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