Objectives & Monitoring
Natural England (formally English Nature) is required to produce advice for European Marine Sites. This states the conservation objectives for the site and provides information on activities that may cause deterioration or disturbance to the habitats or species. This advice forms the basis upon which the management scheme has been built. The management scheme identified actions that may cause deterioration and produce management proposals that are designed to avoid such deterioration. Six broad categories of operations that may cause deterioration of the Humber were identified.Categories of Operation that may cause Deterioration:
- Physical Loss
- Physical Damage
- Non-physical disturbance
- Toxic contamination
- Non-toxic contamination
- Biological disturbance
Monitoring
Two types of monitoring will be required for the successful implementation of this management scheme.
Condition Monitoring
It is the responsibility of Natural England to undertake condition monitoring.
Surveys on the Humber 's bird population are largely completed by volunteers working on the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). This data will be used to assess whether the Humber European Marine Site is continuing to make an appropriate contribution towards the Favourable Conservation Status of bird species across Europe but does not contribute to the sites overall condition assessment.
Example of Condition Monitoring
| Interest Feature | Attribute | Measure | Target |
Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide |
Extent |
Area (ha) of intertidal flats, measured periodically during the reporting cycle (frequency to be determined). |
No decrease in extent from an established baseline, subject to natural change. |
|
Topography |
Tidal elevation and shore slope, measured periodically during the reporting cycle (frequency to be determined). |
Shore profile should not deviate significantly from an established baseline, subject to natural change |
Compliance monitoring
Compliance monitoring is undertaken by the Relevant Authority which is responsible for enforcing the measures that fall within its functions. This ensures that the management measures are implemented, and that they are sufficient to maintain the Humber Estuary in favourable condition, regular assessment of progress for these measures will be needed.
Annual review and report
This will outline the implementation of existing management measures, development of new actions and the work of the Humber Advisory Group. Changes in English Nature's Regulation 33 advice and information from the condition monitoring programme will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Management Scheme and inform the following year's management.