OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas

	Introduction
	Guidance on development of the work

Current Status of the network

MPA nomination database

Introduction

1.    Marine protected areas are areas for which protective, conservation, restorative or precautionary measures have been instituted for the purpose of protecting and conserving species, habitats, ecosystems or ecological processes of the marine environment. These measures must be consistent with international law.

2.    At the Ministerial Meeting in Sintra in 1998 OSPAR Ministers agreed to promote the establishment of a network of marine protected areas to ensure the sustainable use and protection and conservation of marine biological diversity and its ecosystems.

3.    In 2003 following a period of preparatory work, OSPAR adopted Recommendation 2003/3 on a network of marine protected areas with the purpose of establishing an ecologically coherent network of well-managed MPAs in the North-East Atlantic by 2010, which will: 

1. protect, conserve and restore species, habitats and ecological processes which have been adversely affected by human activities;

2. prevent degradation of, and damage to, species, habitats and ecological processes, following the precautionary principle;

3. protect and conserve areas that best represent the range of species, habitats and ecological processes in the maritime area.   

4.    Recommendation 2003/3 recognises the commitment from the report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, September 2002) to promote the conservation and management of the oceans through actions at all levels, giving due regard to the relevant international instruments to develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools, including the ecosystem approach, the elimination of destructive fishing practices, the establishment of marine protected areas consistent with international law and based on scientific information, including representative networks by 2012 and time/area closures for the protection of nursery grounds and periods, proper coastal land use and watershed planning and the integration of marine and coastal areas management into key sectors. OSPAR and HELCOM also jointly adopted in 2003 a Joint HELCOM/OSPAR Work Programme on Marine Protected Areas.

Guidance on development of the network  

5.    For the purpose of developing the OSPAR Network of MPAs, OSPAR has adopted the following guidance documents:

1. Guidelines for the Identification and Selection of Marine Protected Areas in the OSPAR Maritime Area (reference number: 2003-17);

2. Guidelines for the Management of Marine Protected Areas in the OSPAR Maritime Area (reference number: 2003-18);  

3. Guidance on developing an ecologically coherent network of OSPAR marine protected areas (reference number 2006-3);  

4. Guidance to assess the effectiveness of management of OSPAR MPAs: a self-assessment scorecard (reference number: 2007-5);

5. Guidance for the design of the OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas: a self-assessment checklist (reference number: 2007-6);  

6.    OSPAR has also adopted the following Background Documents on MPAs:

1. Background Document to support the assessment of whether the OSPAR Network of Marine Protected Areas is Ecologically Coherent; 

2. Background Document on management of cross-border MPAs.

Current status of the OSPAR network of MPAs

7.    The current list of sites reported by OSPAR Contracting Parties as components of the network is given in Table 1. The full OSPAR MPA database can be also be downloaded (download now). A second status Report on the OSPAR Network of MPAs (OSPAR Publication 319) was published by OSPAR 2007.

 

Table 1: Summary of reported OSPAR MPAs (as of 31 Dec. 2007)
Contracting Party	Name	Size (Ha)
Belgium	none	0
Denmark	Anholt og havet nord for	13 357
Denmark	Briseis Flak	748
Denmark	Farvandet nord for Anholt	46 137
Denmark	Hastens Grund	3 038
Denmark	Havet omkring Nordre R°nner	18 535
Denmark	Herthas Flak	1 380
Denmark	Hesselø med omliggende stenrev	4 193
Denmark	Kims Ryg	2 383
Denmark	Knudegrund	748
Denmark	Lysegrund	1 635
Denmark	Læsø Trindel and Tønneberg Banke	8 123
Denmark	Læsø, sydlige del	102 714
Denmark	Lønstrup Rødgrund	9 283
Denmark	Sandbanker ud for Thorsminde	6 364
Denmark	Sandbanker ud for Thyborøn	6 325
Denmark	Schultz Grund	2 369
Denmark	Strandenge på Læsø og havet syd herfor	66 238
Denmark	Sydlige Nordsø	246 296
Denmark	TOTAL	539 866
France	Archipel des Sept îles	280
France	Réserve Naturelle de l’Estuaire de la Seine	8 528
France	Réserve Naturelle de la Baie de l’Aiguillon	4 900
France	Réserve Naturelle de la baie de Saint Brieuc	1 140
France	Réserve Naturelle de Moëze-Oléron	6 720
France	Réserve Naturelle du Banc d’Arguin	2 200
France	Réserve Naturelle Nationale de la Baie de Somme	3 000
France	Réserve Naturelle Nationale du Domaine de Beauguillot	685
France	TOTAL	27 453
Iceland	none	0
Ireland	none	0
Germany	Helgoland (S-H) seabird protection area	161 065
Germany	Lower Saxony Wadden Sea national park	276 700
Germany	S-H Wadden Sea national park	441 000
Germany	SPA-Eastern German Bight	313 513
Germany	TOTAL	1 192 278
Netherlands	none	0
Norway	Fjellknausen	190
Norway	Iverryggen	62 600
Norway	Røstrevet	30 500
Norway	Selligrunnen	69
Norway	Sularevet	97 000
Norway	Tisler	180
Norway	TOTAL	190 539
Portugal	Corvo Island	25 736
Portugal	D. João de Castro seamount	35 370
Portugal	Faial-Pico Channel	24 006
Portugal	Formigas Bank	52 527
Portugal	Lucky Strike hydrothermal vent field	19 218
Portugal	Menez Gwen hydrothermal vent field	9 500
Portugal	Rainbow hydrothermal vent field	2 215
Portugal	Sedlo Seamount	401 253
Portugal	TOTAL	569 825
Spain	Islas Atlanticas	8 542
Spain	TOTAL	8 542
Sweden	Fladen	10 395
Sweden	Gullmarn fjord	11 368
Sweden	Koster-Väderö archipelago	42 600
Sweden	Kungsbacka fjord	7 867
Sweden	Lilla Middelgrund	17 864
Sweden	Nordre älv estuary	7 082
Sweden	TOTAL	97 177
United Kingdom	Alde Ore and Butley Estuaries SAC	1 108
United Kingdom	Ascrib, Isay and Dunvegan SAC	2 577
United Kingdom	Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast SAC	65 035
United Kingdom	Cardigan Bay/Bae Ceredigion SAC	95 342
United Kingdom	Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries/ Bae Caerfyrddin ac Aberoedd SAC	63 166
United Kingdom	Chesil and the Fleet SAC	1 238
United Kingdom	Dornoch Firth and Morrich More SAC	6 933
United Kingdom	Drigg Coast SAC	707
United Kingdom	Eileanan agus Sgeiran Lios mór SAC	1 137
United Kingdom	Essex Estuaries SAC	38 246
United Kingdom	Fal and Helford SAC	6 189
United Kingdom	Faray and Holm of Faray SAC	721
United Kingdom	Firth of Lorn	20 967
United Kingdom	Firth of Tay & Eden Estuary SAC	15 111
United Kingdom	Flamborough Head SAC	6 202
United Kingdom	Glannau Môn: Cors heli / Anglesey Coast : Saltmarsh SAC	903
United Kingdom	Isle of May SAC	332
United Kingdom	Isles of Scilly Complex SAC	26 708
United Kingdom	Kenfig/ Cynffig SAC	269
United Kingdom	Limestone Coast of South West Wales / Arfordir Calchfaen de Orllewin Cymru SAC	199
United Kingdom	Loch Creran SAC	1 226
United Kingdom	Loch Laxford SAC	1 211
United Kingdom	Loch Moidart and Loch Shiel Woods SAC	284
United Kingdom	Loch nam Madadh SAC	1 837
United Kingdom	Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh Reefs SAC	2 367
United Kingdom	Luce Bay and Sands SAC