The Forth Islands SPA (Special Protected Area) used to be the main breeding area for roseate terns in Scotland, however due to increased predation, the loss of nesting habitat and the resulting competition for the remaining areas, they have not been recorded breeding at any of the islands (or in the rest of Scotland) since 2009.

Along with the loss of roseate terns, the presence of other tern species declined in the Forth Islands SPA, with currently only two common tern colonies remaining: Long Craig Island and the Isle of May. Although not within the SPA, there is also a common tern colony at Leith Docks.

Scottish Natural Heritage manages the Isle of May and recently they have invested a lot of effort to create tern nesting areas with some positive results. In 2017, Arctic terns increased with 832 pairs and there were 29 pairs of common terns. After an eight-year hiatus, Sandwich terns were recorded nesting in 2016 and 2017.

Long Craig Island, managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, is the only site within the Forth Island SPA, where the LIFE Project is involved. In 2017, there were 165 pairs of common terns nesting there and in 2016, the wardens recorded a roseate tern and common tern hybrid pair.

One of the key objectives of the Project is to restore the five sites which have historically supported breeding roseate terns. Through improving and boosting the survival of the common tern colonies may result in roseate terns being more inclined to recolonise these areas in the future.

​As Long Craig Island has limited nesting space for terns as a result of spring high tides; the LIFE Project deployed a 64 square metre raft in Port Edgar Marina just 1.5 km away from the island to support the population. It replaces an old pontoon, which was the site of a common tern colony, but which was badly damaged in the winter storms of 2014/15. The new raft will provide the terns at Long Craig additional nesting place which is both safe from flooding and mammalian predators on the mainland.

​The materials for the raft arrived to Port Edgar Marina and was subsequently assembled on the jetty as per design by KAMES. Overall, the raft took a full 3 days to build and install into its designated space.

The main frame of the raft is made of galvanised steel and the decking is supported on pressure treated, Scottish grown Douglas Fir timber beams and secured using stainless steel fixings. The decking is made of recycled polyethylene planks covered with a ground geomembrane.

For buoyancy, there are 10 floats, of which each are filled with 790 litres of expanded closed cell polyurethane and the raft has been anchored with 4 huge, 100 Kg self-embedding anchors on 40mm thick chains.

Once in place, the surface of the raft was covered in over 1 tonne of mixed source crushed shells to replicate the tern’s natural habitat. A number of shelters were also added to provide tern chick’s opportunity to hide from the elements or avian predators.

There are also 8 concrete tern decoys which simulate nesting birds in order attract passing terns to the new nesting area. These have been placed following RSPB guidance.

Mae posib clywed sawl ymateb i’r newyddion yma; ‘Beth yw hynny?’ neu ‘Beth yw’r ots?!’
 
Natura 2000 – Beth yw hynny?
Mae rhwydwaith Natura 2000 o safleoedd yn ffurfio rhwydwaith unigryw yn fyd-eang o ardaloedd wedi’u gwarchod sy’n ymestyn ar draws yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Yn ymestyn o gyrion Môr yr Iwerydd i’r Môr Du yn y Dwyrain, Môr y Canoldir yn y de a Chylch yr Arctig yn y Gogledd, dynodir Safleoedd Natura o dan y ddau ddarn mwyaf dylanwadol o ddeddfwriaeth Ewropeaidd sy’n rhoi sylw i gadwraeth natur a’r amgylchedd.  
 
Mae’r Gyfarwyddeb Adar yn gwarchod pob aderyn gwyllt, eu nythod, eu hwyau a’u cynefinoedd yn yr Undeb Ewropeaidd. Mae safleoedd o’r enw Ardaloedd Gwarchodaeth Arbennig yn cael eu dosbarthu o dan y Gyfarwyddeb Adar er mwyn gwarchod adar sy’n brin neu’n agored i niwed yn Ewrop, gan gynnwys adar mudo rheolaidd ac ymwelwyr. Dynodir safleoedd o’r enw Ardaloedd Cadwraeth Arbennig o dan Gyfarwyddeb Cynefinoedd Ewrop ar gyfer cynefinoedd a bywyd gwyllt heb fod yn adar. Gyda’i gilydd, mae’r Ardaloedd Gwarchodaeth Arbennig a’r Ardaloedd Cadwraeth Arbennig yn ffurfio rhwydwaith Natura 2000. 

Mae creu Ardal Gwarchodaeth Arbennig botensial yn dod ag ardal newydd fawr o arfordir a dyfroedd mewndirol Ynys Môn yn rhan o rwydwaith Natura 2000 ac o dan ddylanwad deddfwriaeth Ewropeaidd a chartref, yn ogystal â chreu cyfrifoldebau newydd i bobl sy’n gwneud penderfyniadau ac i gymunedau yn yr ardal. 
 
Mae’r môr-lyn yng Nghemlyn nid yn unig yn rhan o Ardal Gwarchodaeth Arbennig botensial Môr-wenoliaid Ynys Môn ond hefyd wedi’i ddynodi fel Ardal Cadwraeth Arbennig. Yn cael ei ystyried fel y môr-lyn arfordirol hallt gorau yng Nghymru, mae môr-lyn Cemlyn yn gynefin Ewropeaidd blaenoriaeth sy’n gartref i nifer o rywogaethau prin ac arbenigol, gan gynnwys cocos y môr-lyn a malwen y llaid y môr-lyn. 
 
Yn y DU ac yma yng Nghemlyn, efallai ein bod yn cyrraedd blwyddyn olaf ein haelodaeth lawn o’r Undeb Ewropeaidd ac mae Diwrnod Natura 2000 2018 yn cynnig cyfle i adlewyrchu yn ogystal â dathlu. Mae’r dyfodol yn ansicr o hyd i rwydwaith Natura 2000 yn y DU ond bydd y goblygiadau i integriti rhwydwaith Natura 2000 yn gyffredinol ac i’n bywyd gwyllt a’n cynefinoedd ni’n ddwys.            
 
Ar yr 21ain Mai 2018, bydd Ymddiriedolaeth Natur Gogledd Cymru, fel rhan o Brosiect LIFE y Fôr-wennol Wridog, yn nodi Diwrnod Natura 2000 yng Ngwarchodfa Cemlyn yng Ngogledd Ynys Môn.                 

There could be a number of responses to that news; ‘What’s that?’ or ‘so what!’

​Natura 2000 - What’s that?
The Natura 2000 network of sites forms a globally unique network of protected areas stretching across the European Union.  Extending from the fringes of the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea in the East, the Mediterranean Sea in the south and the Arctic Circle in the North, Natura Sites are designated under two of the most influential pieces of European legislation dealing with nature conservation and the environment.
 
The Birds Directive protects all wild birds, their nests, eggs and habitats within the European Union.  Sites called Special Protection Areas or SPAs are classified under the Birds Directive to protect birds that are rare or vulnerable in Europe, including regular migrants and visitors.  Sites called Special Areas of Conservation or SACs are designated under the European Habitats Directive for habitats and non-bird wildlife.  Together, Special Protection Areas and Special Conservation Areas form the Natura 2000 network. 

Natura 2000 at North Wales Wildlife Trust’s Reserve at Cemlyn, Anglesey
On 10th June 1992, the UK’s Secretary of State for the Environment classified sites at Ynys Feurig, Cemlyn Bay and The Skerries on Anglesey as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the ‘Birds Directive’.  The focus for these designations were that the three combined sites supported ‘populations of breeding Roseate Tern (at the time given as three pairs or 4.7% of the GB breeding population), Common Tern (189 pairs or 1.5% of the GB breeding population), Arctic Tern (1290 pairs representing at least 2.9% of the then GB breeding population), and Sandwich Tern (460 pairs representing 3.3% of the GB breeding population at that time). 
 
In 2008, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW)- as the statutory nature conservation in Wales, published a Management Plan for the Ynys Feurig, Cemlyn Bay and The Skerries SPA.  Its’ vision included the statement that ‘the Site should contribute to the breeding tern population within the Irish Sea and that the Site’s integrity as a breeding site for Roseate Tern, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern and Common Tern should be maintained - even in years where one or more of the nesting species fails to be present
 
In June 2015, Natural Resources Wales (as the successors to CCW), made a formal proposal to Welsh Government to extend and reclassify the Ynys Feurig, Cemlyn Bay and Skerries SPA and to rename it as the Anglesey Terns SPA.  The new boundary for the SPA includes, in addition to the original three sites, extensive marine areas around the western, northern and eastern coasts of Anglesey (101,931.08 hectares in all).  Interestingly the figures provided to Welsh Government in 2015 for the numbers of breeding terns around the north coast of Anglesey were exactly the same as those provided in 1992.  Early in 2017 Welsh Government ‘approved’ the proposed new boundary which is now legally considered as a potential SPA or pSPA.  

The creation of a pSPA brings a large new area of Anglesey’s coastline and inshore waters into the Natura 2000 network and under the influence of European and domestic legislation as well as creating new responsibilities for decision makers and communities in the area. 
 
The lagoon at Cemlyn is not only part of the Anglesey Terns pSPA but is also designated as a Special Conservation Area.  Considered to be the finest saline coastal lagoon in Wales, Cemlyn’s lagoon is a priority European habitat supporting a number of rare and specialised species including the lagoon cockle and the lagoonal mud-snail.
 
 In the UK and here at Cemlyn, we may be entering our last year of full European Union membership. and Natura 2000 Day 2018 offers a chance for reflection as well as celebration.  What the future holds for the Natura 2000 network in the UK is still unknown but the implications for the integrity of the Natura 2000 network as a whole and for our wildlife and habitats will be profound. 
 
On the 21st May 2018, North Wales Wildlife Trust will, as part of the Roseate Tern LIFE Project, be marking Natura 2000 Day at the Cemlyn Reserve in Northern Anglesey.
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