Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated by Scottish Ministers under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. These possible MPAs have been approved by Scottish Ministers for public consultation. As such, the locations are afforded policy protection as if they were designated.
The boundaries of the possible MPAs presented in this dataset represent those being consulted upon within the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea limit (on the basis of advice provided by Scottish Natural Heritage - the Scottish Government's adviser on all aspects of nature and landscape across Scotland). The following URLs provide links to the consultation process websites: www.snh.gov.uk/mpa-consultation and www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marine-consultation
Possible MPAs in offshore waters adjacent to Scotland (beyond the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea limit) are also included in the consultation exercise. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the statutory adviser to the Scottish Government for offshore waters. The following URLs provide links to the relevant consultation process websites: www.jncc.defra.gov.uk/scottish-mpa-consultation and www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marine-consultation