Inner Hebrides and the Minches cSAC
Status: Designated
MPA Type
Candidate Special Area of ConservationSpecial Areas of Conservation (SACs) are strictly protected sites designated under European legislation. They contribute both to the UK MPA network and set up to protect habitat types and species considered to be most in need of conservation at a European level (excluding birds). Sites which have been submitted to the European Commission by Government, but not yet formally adopted by the Commission, are referred to as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs).
Designation date
1 September 2016Surface Area
13,801.74 km2 (5,328.88 mi.2)Perimeter
4,648.60 km (2,888.50 mi.)-
Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
The harbour porpoise is the smallest and most common cetacean recorded in UK waters.
Did you know?…
Over 170 parliamentarians from across the political spectrum signed up to our Marine Charter calling for a network of ‘marine protected areas’ in UK Seas
An area over 9 times the size of Wales is now in marine protected areas in the UK, but less than 1% is considered by MCS scientists to be well managed
Over 500,000 records on undersea habitats and species have been collected by volunteer Seasearch divers providing significant evidence for inshore ‘marine protected areas’
The future of fisheries is being decided
The UK government has opened a public consultation asking how we think they should manage our fisheries after Brexit through a new Fisheries Bill.