The conservation of British North Sea estuaries

Abstract

Estuaries are amongst the most productive, but scarce, ecosystems in the world. Britain and the southern North Sea have many and extensive estuaries. Many British North Sea coast estuaries are nationally and internationally important for nature conservation for their variety of sand-dune, saltmarsh, sandflat and mudflat habitats, and the plants and animals that they support. The wildlife of estuaries are currently being affected by a great many of man's activities. Many, particularly land-claim, pollution and recreational activities cause loss and damage to this scarce wildlife habitat. Conservation of British estuaries is achieved mainly through site safeguard — the notification of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and declaration of National Nature Reserves (NNRs) by the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC), and the designation of sites of international importance under the ‘Ramsar Convention’ and the EC Directive on Wild Birds — and the amelioration of existing damage by sensitive management and pollution control. Several nationwide surveys, particularly NCC's Estuaries Review, are underway in Britain. These will provide sound comparable information on all estuarine sites, and will form the basis for developing an overall estuarine conservation strategy.