Commissioning Specification
Project title: Work Package E - A review of population sizes of qualifying features of
SPAs with a marine component for Scottish waters.
Summary of Requirement
A review of breeding seabird SPA population sizes and trends for those populations
around the whole of Scotland to provide good solid baseline data. The project would apply
the results from Seabirds 2000 and the SMP to SPAs and takes account of regional
population trends that will fill the gap until the next big seabird 2000 type project.
It has become clear through scoping and assessment of proposed marine renewables
developments in Scotland that there needs to be a single source of information on the
current population levels and recent trends of bird populations protected in SPAs with a
marine component. By providing these data directly to developers and their consultants it
should be possible to enable more rapid and more informed scoping advice and impact
assessment. Providing a single source of current SPA population levels and trends would
also enable more informed and consistent cumulative impact assessments. For seabirds in
particular the last national monitoring scheme provided estimates from 1998 to 2000, and
many populations are likely to have changed since then. The next national seabird
monitoring program is likely to conduct surveys from 2013 to 2015. This project would
provide a basic interim estimate meantime. No new survey effort is proposed. All data
should be collated from existing monitoring programs.
Priority
High – developments in the outer forth and tay area are progressing towards licence
application in 2012 and the need for immediate research is pressing in order to provide
environmental information support to the industry.
Aim
To provide a single source of current population levels and trends of qualifying features of
SPAs with a marine component to aid with impact assessment of proposed marine
renewable development in Scotland.
Objectives
The project will:

Provide information on the populations of seabirds from SPAs with a marine component
that are likely to have connectivity with proposed and planned offshore renewable
developments in Scottish waters;

Promote Marine Scotland's role as the provider of high quality support to the
renewables industry, at the same time balancing our role as the environmental
managers of Scotland's seas.
Approach
The outputs of this project should include at least:
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1. Collate SPA population citation date for seabird species. Species will be defined in
consultation with MS / SNH. Including with this the SPA population at the most
recent national survey (e.g. Seabird Monitoring Program, Seabird Colony Register
Census etc).
2. The number of species assessed as part of these works significantly affects the
collation, assessment, population status, trend and data processing
3. Collate latest population estimate from established monitoring programs (e.g. SMP,
WeBS, etc.) including the date of the latest estimate and details of monitoring
program
4. Population trend of the SPA population (where available data exists) as a
a. 5 year mean over the last 5 years of data
b. a mean over all of the data available since either the last national survey or
citation (whatever was soonest).
c. Population trend at a local (regional) and National (Scotland) scale from
Seabird 2000 report
Outputs
The contractor will be expected to provide the Scottish Government with the following
outputs:

A report which provides the data requirements as set out in 1 – 4 above.
Policy Customer/Project Manager
The policy customer will be Phil Alcock from Marine Planning & Policy Division.
Phil.alcock@scotland.gsi.gov.uk (0131 244 6602)
Research Adviser
The relevant scientific advisor is Dr Ian Davies (Marine Scotland Science).
Ian.davies@scotland.gsi.gov.uk (01224 295 468)
Duration of project
Complete by 31 March 2012 – Delivery of final report
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