East Atlantic Flyway: England East Coast Wetlands

Description

The English East Coast is globally important for migratory waterbirds and for its nearly contiguous complex of ecologically connected, coherent and immensely variable coastal wetlands. It includes many exceptional, extensive and biodiverse habitats located across a range of dramatic and dynamic estuaries as well as open coast ecosystems. These extensive coastal wetlands support over 155 different bird species most of which migrate internationally along the East Atlantic Flyway (EAF) which extends from the Arctic to South Africa. The extent and boundary of the proposed Natural World Heritage Site is largely defined by a series of existing protected nature conservation areas, designated for their international importance, including 21 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for avian interest, 21 Ramsar Convention Wetlands of International Importance and 19 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for habitats and nonavian species, plus six nationally designated Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). These sites are also underpinned by other national designations such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The area within the proposed boundary contains almost 170,000 hectares (ha) of coastline including large expanses of coastal grazing marsh and c85,000 ha of intertidal including c17,500 ha of saltmarsh habitat, some reedbeds and c67,500 ha of mudflats and sandflats.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

The site merits Natural World Heritage Site status for its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as a network of very diverse coastal wetlands fed by rivers and tides that support globally important migratory waterbird populations, on the EAF. It would also benefit those who live in, use and visit (residents and tourists) these coastal areas by raising the level of public recognition of its outstanding value and importance, engendering wider support and engagement in its management. The EAF, one of eight great global flyways, extends from Arctic breeding areas in Canada/Greenland/Scandinavia/Siberia as far south as South Africa. These spectacular bird congregations rely on the rich invertebrate food resource of the intertidal flats, especially to fuel birds staging during spring and autumn migrations and to sustain those that overwinter. The upper intertidal marshes are equally vital as high tide roosts and nesting grounds. They provide foraging and nursery grounds for fish and a wide range of other public benefits including recreation, well-being, flood protection and carbon sequestration. Additionally, the area is a significant global exemplar of coastal adaptation and nature conservation management in the face of a changing climate. Nomination will facilitate enhanced joined-up sustainable management and restoration across multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders.

Criterion (x): The site has OUV under criterion (x) because: 1) It is a world class complex of diverse coastal wetlands supporting globally important migratory waterbird populations on the EAF making it a critical site within the world’s eight major flyways 2) It plays a crucial role as a global exemplar of coastal adaptation and nature conservation management on a top flyway site in the face of a changing climate. Its mid-way location in the EAF makes this a vital rung in the ladder for migratory birds that depend on it as a global staging area to moult and refuel, as well as its importance for breeding and wintering birds. This coast is, therefore, critical to the EAF in terms of overall numbers of waterbirds (1 million in winter alone, many more on passage), 29 internationally important waterbird populations (1 with >50%, 1 with >30%, 7 with >5% of biogeographical population depending on the site), including 6 globally (near) threatened species. The site hosts world-leading examples of coastal adaptation with 23 different sea defence ‘managed realignment’ projects and multiple restoration initiatives created during the last 30 years. These demonstrate how coastal adaptation can achieve multiple public benefits including for flood protection, habitat restoration, recreation, well-being, tourism, fisheries, water quality, and carbon storage.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

Integrity is indicated by having whole and intact attributes and bio-physical processes, while recognising that natural areas are dynamic, and to varying extents involve contact with people. These characteristics apply to the English East Coast. Properties proposed under criterion (x) should also be the most important for the conservation of biological diversity. Only those which are the most biologically diverse and/or representative are likely to meet this criterion. The properties should contain habitats for maintaining the most diverse fauna and flora characteristic of the bio-geographic province and ecosystems under consideration. The England East Coast Wetlands are extraordinarily biodiverse. They encompass a range of different habitats including mudflats, sandflats, marshes, grasslands, gravel bars and subtidal habitats. There are 33 different high-level EUNIS categorised habitat types (EUNIS is a comprehensive pan-European system for habitat identification). These include at least 600 ha of biogenic reefs and thousands of hectares of subtidal (permanently submerged) areas along the outer edges of estuaries and embayments. Also, around 243 ha of intertidal seagrass have, so far, been mapped across the area. Furthermore, the fact that around 1 million birds use the site every winter alone suggests that the integrity is functionally suitable and of outstanding international importance.

Comparison with other similar properties

There are no other UK mainland Natural WHS inscribed for their biological features or under criterion x let alone for coastal wetlands of international importance which support globally important migratory waterbird populations. The only three UK WHS inscribed under criterion x, each with different justifications of natural ‘Outstanding Universal Value’ and with different biological diversity, are in the UK’s Overseas Territories (Gough and Inaccessible Islands in the South Atlantic and Henderson Island in the Pacific) and St Kilda is in the remote westernmost islands of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The Flow Country WHS on the UK’s ‘Tentative list’ has different biological value – it is a vast 190,000 ha blanket bog in northern Scotland providing breeding bird habitat and storing around 400 million tonnes carbon. The East English Coast NWHS would be the first in the UK to cover expansive coastal wetlands. It will be similar in size to The Flow County and has ecological connection with it because bird species such as Curlew, Greenshank and Dunlin that breed in the Flows depend on the English East coast during the non-breeding season.

There are 257 natural, or mixed, World Heritage Sites globally. Only 50 are marine and coastal of which 40 are designated (solely or in part) under criterion x. As noted above, there are no UK mainland Natural WHS inscribed for their biological values including under criterion x; but a nomination for the Flow Country is likely to be submitted to UNESCO this year. The East English Coast proposed natural WHS would be the first in the UK to cover expansive coastal wetlands. It will be similar in size to The Flow County nomination and has ecological connection with it because some birds breeding there depend on the English east coast in the non-breeding season. The English East Coast is comparable to, but distinctive from, other coastal wetland natural WHS. It is also complementary to the Wadden Sea (Netherlands, Germany and Denmark) and Banc d’Arguin (Mauritania) natural WHS also located along the EAF. These are around 1 million ha each and ecologically interconnected with the English East Coast. The East Coast is comparable in size to the recent serial nomination of the Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats (South Korea) and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase I) (China).