Inner Hebrides and the Minches cSAC

Status: Designated

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MPA Type

Candidate Special Area of Conservation

Special 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 2016

Surface 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. 

    Source: PTES

Did you know?…

Over half a million people have voiced their support for ‘marine protected area’ designation in the UK through our campaigns

Over 500,000 records on undersea habitats and species have been collected by volunteer Seasearch divers providing significant evidence for inshore ‘marine protected areas’

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