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Any Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposal brought forward will complement the species protection already afforded to all species of cetaceans by virtue of being European Protected Species under the EU Habitats Directive.

Three species of cetaceans are listed as MPA search features - Risso's dolphin, white-beaked dolphin and minke whale. To ensure that important life stages of these species are considered for protection, MPA search locations are currently being assessed against the Scottish MPA Selection Guidelines.

Any Marine Protected Area (MPA) proposal brought forward will complement the species protection already afforded to Basking Shark through the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended.

The basking shark is listed as a MPA search feature.

One search location has been identified and is currently being assessed to identify if there are any habitats critical for the species.

As part of this, further research is being undertaken;

(a) through tagging basking sharks within the MPA search location this summer to understand more about their fine-scale distribution and use of the area and

(b) to gain a greater understanding of the habitats that support basking shark in this location through data modelling.

This is a landmark and ambitious project to bring cutting-edge technology to Scotland, involving overseas investors as well as careful planning and close partnerships with stakeholders in Scotland, including local authorities and the waste management industry.

Following its Mixed Plastics Capital Grant Programme, Zero Waste Scotland is now working with a preferred supplier and is following due diligence considerations to finalise a project which would see significant investment being made in Scotland to establish a mixed plastics reprocessing plant.

While a site location is still to be confirmed, the plastics reprocessing plant would create local jobs and allow Scotland to benefit further from the economic opportunities associated with recycling.

Examples of wider seas measures are marine planning, environmental impact assessment, and strategic environmental assessment. In addition to these, wider seas measures contained within sectoral policies and plans can play their part in improving the status of marine habitats and species.

Reformation of the Common Fisheries Policy and implementation of Inshore Fisheries Group management plans should provide environmental benefit. Measures under development to deliver good environmental status by 2020 under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive should also provide benefit to marine species and habitats. The Scottish Government is also developing a marine litter strategy.

The Scottish Government contracted the Scottish Association for Marine Science and the Hutton Institute/Macaulay Land Use Research Institute to undertake a study and prepare a research report to inform and support the development of a marine litter strategy. The total cost of this study was £30,000.

We intend to undertake a public consultation on a strategy later this year and costs relating to that process and beyond have not yet been confirmed.

A breakdown showing staff resources in supporting the process is unavailable.

Marine Protected Areas will be managed to achieve the conservation objectives. The need for specific management over and above existing sectoral measures and licensing will be determined on a site-by-site basis. It will be based on the protected features, their condition, the conservation objectives, and the level of sensitivity to pressures caused by marine activities. Discussions with stakeholders who have practical environmental knowledge of the location will help shape the most appropriate management measures.

Competent Authorities will also have to consider the potential impacts on MPA features when exercising any of their functions as required by sections 82 and 83 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Marine features in special areas of conservation (SAC) in Scotland are included in Scottish Natural Heritage’s Site Condition Monitoring rolling six year programme. The frequency at which an individual feature will be monitored is determined by the risk/vulnerability of the feature type across the designated sites suite with higher risk/more vulnerable features being monitored more frequently. Site condition monitoring has not taken place at proposed or candidate SACs to date.

Where Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) or Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) carry out routine seabird monitoring on reserves the data is used to complete condition assessments for seabirds every six years. Beyond this SNH relies on the UK-wide national seabird census work to assess populations.

UK breeding seabird population trends are assessed through a 15 year census reporting cycle interspersed with annual monitoring. This allows both long and short term population trends to be identified. There have been three seabird colony censuses to date (1969-70; 1985-88 and 1998-2002) with a further census currently in the early planning stage (estimated completion 2014-17). The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) are co-ordinating this census in collaboration with a multi-stakeholder group composed of members from the statutory nature conservation bodies, environmental NGOs and academia.

JNCC also coordinate the Seabird Monitoring Programme (established 1986), a partnership programme that collates sample data on breeding numbers and breeding success of seabirds, to enable their conservation status to be assessed. The Seabird Monitoring Programme provides annual updates to the population trends identified by the seabird censuses and also assesses seabird breeding success, survival rate and diet, together with interpretation of the likely causes of change. All Special Protection Areas for breeding seabirds are monitored during each seabird census, together with a selection of these on a more regular basis by the Seabird Monitoring Programme.

<>I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08158 on 2 July 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

<>The current term of appointment for the Chair of Scottish Natural Heritage ends on 31 July 2012. Details of an extension to this appointment from 1 August 2012 to 28 February 2014 were announced by the Scottish Government on 25 May. A copy of the news release is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/05/SNHchair250512.

We expect to commence arrangements for the appointment of a successor in the autumn of 2013.