Scottish Natural Heritage has de-notified the Tweed River Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The Tweed River SSSI was one of three conservation designations on watercourses within the Tweed catchment established under different legislation at different times. These are
· Tweed River SSSI (under the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act 1949 - the '1949 Act')
· River Tweed SSSI (under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 - the '2004 Act')
· River Tweed Special Area of Conservation (under the European Habitats Directive)
The River Tweed SSSI and the River Tweed SAC are unaffected by this de-notification.
The Tweed River SSSI was originally notified in 1976, under Section 23 of the 1949 Act. As the SSSI provisions of more recent legislation, most notably the 2004 Act, have replaced those of the 1949 Act we have reviewed all SSSIs still notified under the 1949 Act. We have already re-notified part of the original Tweed River SSSI as the River Tweed SSSI under the 2004 Act. And the Scottish Ministers have designated parts of the original Tweed River SSSI as the River Tweed Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
The remaining Tweed River SSSI does not meet the criteria for selection as an SSSI (under the 2004 Act).
You can find information about SSSI and SAC and Scotland's other protected areas designations on our website at http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/protected-areas/