As a Statutory Harbour Authority (and therefore a public authority under the Environment Act 2021) part of our role is to conserve and protect our local habitats and the associated biodiversity.

This is reflected in our ESG Strategy which includes biodiversity as one of the key priorities and therefore includes many specific biodiversity related actions. This also means that biodiversity considerations are included as part of our business planning activities and that subsequently we align our business activities with national goals and targets. This includes the UK government’s commitment to halt the decline in species abundance and protect 30% of UK land and sea for nature’s recovery by 2030.

Our ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management System (EMS) ensures that we understand and are managing our environmental aspects, and that environmental considerations, including for enhancing biodiversity, are embedded into our internal policies, processes and procedures. By following the plan-do-check-act framework the system is regularly reviewed to ensure ongoing effectiveness and continual improvement.

Our Area
Harwich Haven Authority’s jurisdiction covers areas that are important for biodiversity, especially overwintering birds, and as a result large areas are protected under national and international legislation. Due to their location in the most easterly part of the British Isles, the Stour and Orwell estuaries are a vital part of the ‘Eastern Flyway’ for migrating wildfowl and waders. The area’s extensive mudflats, low cliffs, salt marsh and areas of vegetated shingle provide wintering habitats for important wetland bird species including avocet, dunlin, lapwing and curlew.

Both the Stour and Orwell estuaries are nationally designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and as Special Protection Areas (SPA) for birds. The area is also internationally designated as a Ramsar site (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance).

The Authority owns a small strip of land adjacent to the Landguard Trust Reserve. This area is designated as an SSSI for vegetated shingle which is made up of important coastal plant species and provides nesting habitat for ringed plovers.

With the Authority’s jurisdiction covering parts of Essex and Suffolk we recognise the need to consider local nature recovery strategies (LNRS). These are expected to be published at the end of 2024 for Essex and mid 2025 for Suffolk. On publication, we will review these and consider the need for changes and/or additions to our existing policies and plans in order to ensure they align. The Authority also recognises the need to consider biodiversity net gain as part of any future projects.