Briefing: Site integrity and sandbanks

The document explains that 'site integrity' under the Habitats Directive necessitates achieving 'favourable conservation status' for both Annex I habitats and their associated 'typical species'. For sandbanks, this includes a range of invertebrates and fish, some of which are commercially valuable. In the UK, these sites are at high risk from bottom-towed fishing gear, which inhibits the recovery of static communities and biogenic reefs. The author argues that the precautionary principle requires prohibiting such gear unless it is proven to have no adverse effect, challenging 'partial protection' management plans that lack robust scientific data. A case study of The Wash demonstrates how protecting Sabellaria worm reefs and their buffer zones supports commercial fish species like plaice, dab, and sole.

• Under Article 6 of the Habitats Directive, 'site integrity' is not explicitly defined but is linked to achieving 'favourable conservation status' for Annex I habitats and Annex II species. To avoid adverse effects on site integrity, the 'typical species' associated with these habitats must be maintained or restored to favourable conservation status, meaning assessments must consider the wider ecological context of the site.
• Typical species associated with sandbanks include seaweeds (such as maerl), crustaceans, worms, molluscs, polychaetes, echinoderms, and various fish species. Some of these, including sandeels, flat fish, sharks, and demersal fish, have commercial value, while others like cod, plaice, dab, and sole use these habitats for feeding and breeding.

APA

ClientEarth (2017). Briefing: Site integrity and sandbanks. https://www.clientearth.org/media/snopug54/site-integrity-and-sandbanks-coll-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Briefing: Site integrity and sandbanks. 2017. https://www.clientearth.org/media/snopug54/site-integrity-and-sandbanks-coll-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Briefing: Site integrity and sandbanks |date=February 2017 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/snopug54/site-integrity-and-sandbanks-coll-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2017briefing, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Briefing: Site integrity and sandbanks}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/snopug54/site-integrity-and-sandbanks-coll-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }