Introduction / The Island / Epilogue

Conservation Status

Because it is a significant breeding location for grey seals, since 1998 Faray and the Faray Holm have been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) by Scottish Natural Heritage. Scottish Natural Heritage is a government body established in 1992 by law to look after Scotland’s natural heritage, help people enjoy and value it, and to encourage people to use it sustainably. It is responsible to Scottish ministers and ultimately, Scottish Parliament. All public bodies in Scotland have a duty to protect an SSSI.

Having the SSSI designation subjects the occupiers of SSSI properties to certain restrictions related to the particular area, in this case to protect the seals and their habitat. Special consent may be necessary to perform certain operations, or certain activities may be prohibited when seals are present. Hunting seals has been prohibited in the UK since the late 1970s.

In 2005 Faray was designated a Special Area for Conservation (SAC), again because of the seal breeding colony. SACs are designated as such by a national government, Scotland in this case, but under the EU Habitats Directive. The conservation objective for Faray and the Holm of Faray is “to avoid deterioration of the habitats of qualifying species (grey seal Halichoerus grypus) or significant disturbance to the qualifying species, thus ensuring that the integrity of the site is maintained and the site makes an appropriate contribution to achieving favourable conservation status for the qualifying interest.”