§ Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domerasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which species of cetaceans have the benefit of a designated "sanctuary" in United Kingdom waters in accordance with special areas of conservation designated under the European Union Habitats Directive; which species are not covered by this designation; and what practical measures they intend to take to protect important habitats where sanctuaries have not been identified. [HL4370]
§ Lord WhittyThose species for which member states are required to identify special areas of conservation (SAC) are listed on Annex II to the Habitats Directive. Two species of cetacean—harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphin—are listed.
For aquatic species which range over wide areas, the directive states that sites will be proposed only where there is a clearly identifiable area representing the physical and biological factors essential to the life and reproduction of the species.
Using this criteria, two sites in the United Kingdom have been designated for bottlenose dolphin as candidate SAC. To date, no sites have been identified for harbour porpoise.
All species of cetaceans are listed on Annex IVa to the Habitats Directive. This provides protection to cetaceans from deliberate capture and killing, and deliberate disturbance to these species whether they occur inside or outside an SAC.