See Scottish Natural Heritage’s map of Scotland showing Wester Ross MPA and other ‘maerl MPAs’ to help you locate us. Wester Ross is the largest Maerl Marine Protected Area in Scotland. Designated primarily to recover maerl.
For areas closed to scallop dredging in Scotland’s Seas see Open Sea’s chart here
For Marine Scotland’s submission to the ECCLR committee’s enquiry on Salmon Farming in Scotland – which shows the ‘Maerl’ MPAs which were designated primarily to recover maerl – see the link below:
Marine Scotland’s submission Salmon Enquiry (showing maerl MPAs)
The Northwest Region: a short summary:
The Northwest Highlands, extend from around Skye and the Inner Sound of Skye to Torridon, Wester
Ross, and up to Loch Eriboll, representing Scotland’s most remote and historically rich re-
gions, recognised globally for its geological significance and marine biodiversity.
This area includes 4 Key MPAs and SACs in the region:
Wester Ross Marine Protected Area: The world’s largest ‘maerl’ MPA, designated to protect and recover maerl and other Priority Marine Features (PMFs) such as flameshells.
Gairloch Protected Area: Historic protection in principle remains for parts of the herring
spawning area. An area holding various records for the largest angling fish species caught.
The Inner Sound of Skye: Is a strait subject to herring spawning closures for six months
each year. One of the key creel areas in Scotland – with responsible creel fishermen trialing
leaded ropes and various innovations for the Scottish Entanglement Alliance to solve ceta-
cean entanglement.
Red Rocks and Longay MPA: A recent protection given to the largest Flapper Skate nursery grounds.
Loch Carron MPA: is home to the largest flame shell bed globally with maerl beds just outside
the MPA’s border – monitored by the alliance for maerl and flame shell interaction.
Loch Eribol: Hosts numerous priority marine features and is a candidate for enhanced pro-
tection.
Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh MPA known for large amounts of flame shells, Burrowed mud and firework anemones.
The Torridon Box – an area where trawl and dredge are banned – lobbied for by creel fishermen
Loch Laxford SAC – critical for maerl beds
Little Gruinard River SAC: Famous for the Loch Maree, and Loch Ewe Sea trout and Atlantic
salmon.
Handa Island: Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) for their breeding seabird colony and
maritime coastal habitat.
The Minch also has a large cetacean Marine Protected Area which overlaps other protected areas but it is species specific. The area’s conservation needs are critical partly because of the what remains intact – lost in other areas, but also because the threats to it from both legal and illegal scallop dredging, open cage salmon farms as well as sea-bed bottom trawling gear need addressing. Alongside the larger threats of warming seas and climate change, ocean plastics and invasive species.