Marine and
Coastal Action
Plan DRAFT
OBJECTIVE 1: To conserve and increase the quality and/or extent of marine and coastal habitats in the North East
NB: All targets taken from Biodiversity Indicators and Targets for the North East of England (2004)
Date key:
Short=1-3 years
Medium=3-5 years
Long=5-10 years
Coastal and Flood Plain Grazing Marsh
Target 1: Produce a provisional inventory of coastal floodplain and grazing marsh sites by 2005. Update annually as new
information becomes available
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Collate existing information about
Local BAP Partnerships
Short
locations of coastal grazing marsh within
Regional Coastal and Marine group
the region (e.g. existing inventory data,
Phase 1 information, SNCI data etc.)
Regional Marine and Coastal group to
Regional Coastal and Marine group
Medium
hold a central copy of the collated
information and to update as new
information becomes available
Target 2: Restore 30 ha of degraded grazing marsh through management regimes by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Introduce correct grazing regimes on
Local BAP Partnerships
Medium
those degraded sites requiring changes in
grazing management
Introduce correct water-level management Local BAP Partnerships
Medium
regimes on those degraded sites requiring
changes to hydrological regime
Ensure that need to meet regional target
Regional marine and coastal group
Medium
is reflected in agri-environment targeting
statements
Target 3: Create at least 15ha of new grazing marsh by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
Targeted creation of new coastal grazing
Local BAP Partnerships
marsh in appropriate locations
4-Shores Project (?)
Ensure that need to meet regional target
Regional marine and coastal group
is reflected in regional agri-environment
monitoring statements
Ensure that need to meet regional
Regional marine and coastal group
creation target is reflected in Shoreline
Management Plans and coastal defence
activity
Marine Cliffs and Slopes
Target 1: Secure favourable management of all cliff-top and slope vegetation by 2015
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
Assess effectiveness of existing
Local BAP Partnerships
management of marine cliff and slope
vegetation
Ensure that need to deliver regional target Regional marine and coastal group
is properly reflected in agri-environment
targeting statements
Target 2: Increase area of natural cliff-top or slope vegetation by at least 10ha by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
Investigate whether the quality of cliff-top
Regional marine and coastal group
vegetation is keeping pace with losses
Durham BAP Partnership
due to coastal erosion (especially on soft
cliffs)
Ensure that need to deliver regional target Regional marine and coastal group
is properly reflected in agri-environment
targeting statements
TIMESCALE
Medium
Medium
Short
TIMESCALE
Medium
Medium
TIMESCALE
Medium
Short
Coastal Sand Dunes
Target 1: Secure favourable management of at least 285ha of degraded dune grassland or dune heath by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Identify management needs of existing
Local BAP Partnerships
Short
dune systems
Target management action at degraded
Local BAP Partnerships
Short
dune systems or dune vegetation
Ensure that need to deliver regional target Regional marine and coastal group
Short
is properly reflected in agri-environment
targeting statements
Target 2: Re-establish at least 40ha of dune vegetation at locations where it has been lost to other land uses or to erosion by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Identify areas which are suitable for reLocal BAP Partnerships
Short
establishment of dune vegetation and
target action on them
Develop regional overview of suitable
Regional marine and coastal group
Medium
locations where habitat creation can be
undertaken in order to offset losses due to
sea-level rise
Ensure that need to deliver regional target Regional marine and coastal group
Short
is properly reflected in regional agrienvironment targeting statements
Ensure that need to meet regional
Regional marine and coastal group
Short
creation target is reflected in Shoreline
Management Plans and coastal defence
activity
Coastal Saltmarsh
Target 1: Secure favourable management of all areas of saltmarsh by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Identify existing areas of saltmarsh and
Local BAP Partnerships
Short
assess their management needs
Regional marine and coastal group
Target action at any sites identified as
Local BAP Partnerships
Short
requiring changes in management to
achieve conservation aims
Ensure that need to deliver regional target Regional marine and coastal group
Short
is properly reflected in agri-environment
targeting statements
Target 2: Create at least 5ha of new saltmarsh in intertidal areas to offset predicted losses due to rising sea levels by 2005. Create
a further 5ha by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Develop regional overview of suitable
Regional marine and coastal group
Short
locations for creation of new intertidal
habitat
Targeted creation of saltmarsh habitat
4-Shores Project
Short
Local BAP Partnerships
Wildlife Trusts' Saltmarsh Project (?)
Ensure that need to deliver regional target Regional marine and coastal group
Short
is properly reflected in agri-environment
targeting statements
Ensure that need to meet regional
Regional marine and coastal group
Short
creation target is reflected in Shoreline
Management Plans and coastal defence
activity
Mudflats
Target 1: Identify opportunities to create or enhance 100ha of intertidal flat by 2010. Implement action plans by 2020
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Develop regional overview of suitable
Regional marine and coastal group
Short
locations for creation of new intertidal
habitat
Ensure that need to meet regional
Regional marine and coastal group
Short
creation target is reflected in Shoreline
Management Plans and coastal defence
activity
Target 2: Address historic pollution of mudflats by ensuring that 90% of all mudflat has overlying water quality of GQA C or better
by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Implement Water Framework Directive
Environment Agency
Medium
Saline lagoons
Target 1: Create an additional 10ha of saline lagoon by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Targeted saline lagoon creation and with
Local BAP Partnerships
Medium
appropriate follow-on monitoring and
water-level management
Ensure that need to meet regional
creation target is reflected in Shoreline
Management Plans and coastal defence
activity
Regional marine and coastal group
Short
Sea-grass beds
Target 1: Assess feasibility of expanding existing sea-grass beds at Lindisfarne by 2010
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Map the extent and distribution of Zostera Natural England
Medium
at Lindisfarne on an annual basis
Berwickshire and North Northumberland
Coast EMS
Assess the extent of green algal cover
Natural England
Medium
annually at Budle Bay and Fenham Flats
Berwickshire and North Northumberland
on an annual basis
Coast EMS
Scope and carry-out feasibility study
Natural England
Medium
Sublittoral sands and gravels
No regional targets identified
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Data gathering is main requirement. See
actions under Objective 2
Sabellaria alveolata reefs
No regional targets identified
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Data gathering is main requirement. See
action under Objective 2.
High tide/bad weather roost sites
No regional targets identified
ACTION REQUIRED
DELIVERED BY WHOM
TIMESCALE
Identify important high-tide/bad weather
Local BAP Partnerships
Medium
roost sites and assess their significance to Natural England
bird populations
NB: All targets taken from Biodiversity Indicators and Targets for the North East of England (2004)
Date key:
Short=1-3 years
Medium=3-5 years
Long=5-10 years
OBJECTIVE 2: To increase knowledge of coastal and marine habitats and species in the North East
Targets and Actions to be developed
General Comments
Need to include targets and actions for marine and coastal species where appropriate
May also want to develop overarching targets and actions for maintenance of dynamic ecosystems and coastal process (current
targets are very much in habitat silos)
Other areas where we might want to develop objectives/targets/actions:


Interpretation and engagement
Marine and coastal planning/policy