Question reference: S4W-23727
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 18 December 2014
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Current status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 January 2015
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the establishment of Special Areas of Conservation for porpoises.
Answer
The Scottish Government has had discussions on a regular basis about the EU Habitats Directive to support the identification and designation of Special Areas of Conservation including discussions on whether it is possible to further protect harbour porpoise in UK waters. A harbour porpoise project board was created to facilitate these discussions and provide a coordinated approach at the UK-wide level.