evidence: Special Protection Areas (SPAs), created under the EU Birds Directive and now enshrined in laws across the UK, protect some of our very best sites for birds across all four countries of the UK, from the Somerset Levels and Carmarthen Bay to the Lewis Peatlands and Carlingford Lough. Together with Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) which provide an equivalent level of protection for other (non avian) species and for habitats, they have long formed the cornerstone of attempts across the UK to protect and restore biodiversity and to meet our national and international commitments for nature.