Ecological data exempt from general release

Under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, we provide public access to environmental information for Wales held by us.

We have the right to withhold data under an exception in the Regulations where:

'disclosure would adversely affect the protection of the environment to which the information relates'.

This is called ecological data exempt from general release (EFGR).

Why some data is exempt from release

Certain species, and some other biodiversity features, are particularly vulnerable to damage, disturbance or commercial exploitation if data or information is made public.

Data and information which identifies the location of relevant species and habitats could be misused, deliberately or accidentally, in a way that leads to damage.

Types of damage can include:

collection e.g. making the location of hen harrier nests or Killarney fern populations known to collectors could lead to damage to these species
disturbance e.g. photographers can disturb otter holts
illegal activity e.g. people could use information on the location of badger setts to engage in badger baiting.

Species or features on these lists of exemptions must be subject to a specific source of pressure they are vulnerable to. This is called the threat justification. Rarity or legal designation are not enough, by themselves, to justify inclusion. Many rare species are not included.

Spatial scale

All the features on the list of exemptions have a spatial scale below which (at more detailed level) data and information are considered to increase the potential risk of damage to that feature if made public. Data and information above this spatial scale (less detailed, broader resolution) are thought to be at a level at which the risk of harm is acceptable.

Terrestrial higher and lower plants data exempt from general release

Scientific name	Common name	Lifecycle part exempt from general release	Specific data exempt from general release	Scale below which it's exempt from general release	Vulnerability justification	Threat justification
Woodsia alpina	Alpine woodsia	All	Detailed location of individuals and populations	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Red Data Book Schedule 8 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Damage by photographers, plant collectors, public pressure (close to well-used sites)
Trichomanes speciosum	Killarney fern	Sporophyte (spore-producing form of plant)	Detailed location of individuals and populations	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Red Data Book Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan Annex II Habitats & Species Directive Schedule 8 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Damage by photographers, plant collectors, public pressure (close to well-used sites)
Woodsia ilvensis	Oblong woodsia	All	Detailed location of individuals and populations	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Red Data Book Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan Schedule 8 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Damage by photographers, plant collectors, public pressure (close to well-used sites)
Potentilla rupestris	Rock cinquefoil	All	Detailed location of individuals and populations	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Red Data Book Schedule 8 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Damage by photographers, seed collectors, public pressure (attractive plant)
Cotoneaster cambricus	Wild cotoneaster	All	Detailed location of individuals and populations	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Red Data Book Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan Schedule 8 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Damage by photographers, plant collectors, public pressure (close to well-used sites)

Birds data exempt from general release

Scientific name	Common name	Lifecycle part exempt from general release	Specific data exempt from general release	Scale below which it's exempt from general release	Vulnerability justification	Threat justification
Recurvirostra avosetta	Avocet	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Scarce breeder	Disturbance and egg collectors
Tyto alba	Barn owl	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Disturbance
Panurus biarmicus	Bearded tit	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Botaurus stellaris	Bittern	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan Welsh Assembly Government S.42. Currently extinct as breeding species in Wales, but may start breeding soon.	Disturbance
Tetrao tetrix	Black grouse	Breeding	Detailed location of lek sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan Welsh Assembly Government S.42.	Disturbance
Cepphus grille	Black guillemot	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Cettia cetti	Cetti's warbler	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Scarce breeder.	Disturbance
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	Chough	Breeding and wintering	Detailed location of nest sites and winter roosts.	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Welsh Assembly Government S.74.	Disturbance and egg collectors
Crex crex	Corncrake	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid ref or 10 km sq	Sch 1 WCA. Scarce breeder	Disturbance and egg collectors
Somateria mollissima	Common Eider	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Coturnix coturnix	Common Quail	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Calidris alpine	Dunlin	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Regulus ignicapillus	Firecrest	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Platela leucorodia	Eurasian spoonbill	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid ref or 10 km sq	Sch 1 WCA, Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Anas querquedula	Garganey	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Accipiter gentilis	Goshawk	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Disturbance and persecution
Anser albifrons flavirostris	Greenland White Fronted goose	Wintering	Detailed location of winter roosts	2 figure grid ref or 10 km sq	Rare winter migrant	Disturbance
Circus cyaneus	Hen harrier	Breeding and wintering	Detailed location of nest sites and winter roosts.	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Welsh Assembly Government S.42.	Disturbance and persecution
Falco Subbuteo	Hobby	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid ref or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Pernis apivorus	Honey buzzard	Breeding	Presence of breeding pairs and detailed location of nest sites	100 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Scarce breeder	Disturbance and egg collectors
Charadrius dubius	Little ringed plover	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act	Disturbance
Sterna albifrons	Little tern	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Currently restricted to 1 breeding site in Wales	Disturbance and egg collectors
Asio otus	Long-eared owl	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Circus aeruginosus	Marsh harrier	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Not currently a regular breeder in Wales, but occasional records of summering birds, with possibility of future breeding	Disturbance and egg collectors
Falco columbarius	Merlin	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive	Disturbance
Pandion haliaetus	Osprey	Breeding	Presence of breeding pairs and detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Newly colonised in 2004, scarce breeder.	Disturbance and egg collectors
Falco peregrinus	Peregrine	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive	Disturbance and persecution
Aythya farina	Pochard	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid ref or 10 km square	Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Milvus milvus	Red kite	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive	Disturbance and egg collectors
Sterna dougallii	Roseate tern	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan WAG s.42. Currently restricted to 1 breeding site in Wales	Disturbance and egg collectors
Asio flammeus	Short-eared owl	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Annex 1 Birds directive Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Porzana porzana	Spotted crake	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex 1 Birds Directive Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Carduelis flavirostris	Twite	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Welsh Assembly Government S.42. Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Numenius phaeopus	Whimbrel	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Schedule 1 Wildlife and Countryside Act Scarce breeder	Disturbance
Haliaeetus albicilla	White tailed Eagle	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid ref or 10 km sq	Schedule 1 WCA. Proposal for reintroduction	Disturbance and egg collectors
Anas Penelope	Wigeon	Breeding	Detailed location of nest sites	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Scarce breeder (under 30 pairs)	Disturbance

Terrestrial vertebrates data exempt from general release

Scientific name	Common name	Lifecycle part exempt from general release	Specific data exempt from general release	Scale below which it's exempt from general release	Vulnerability justification	Threat justification
All bat species	All bat species	All	Detailed location of roosts on private property. Location of underground roost sites. Names of roosts which reveal exact or personal addresses.	4 figure grid reference or 1 km square	Schedule 5 Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex II & IV Habitats and Species Directive Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan	Disturbance of bats and alienation of landowner
Meles meles	Badger	All	Detailed location of setts	4 figure grid reference or 1 km square	Badgers Act 1992	Badger baiting and digging
Lutra lutra	Otter	All	Detailed location of holts	4 figure grid reference or 1 km square	Schedule 5 of Wildlife and Countryside Act Annex II & IV Habitats & Species Directive Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan	Disturbance
Castor Fiber	Eurasian Beaver	All	All information including detailed location of lodges/burrows, numbers evidence of signs of activity such as cut vegetation and feeding signs	2 figure grid reference or 20 km square	Classed as GB as Native re-introduced no current protection in Wales but protected in Scotland and under review as part of the current (2021) Quinquennial Review 7 (QQR7) of Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act Very small numbers present in Wales due to illegal releases and/or escaped captive animals	Disturbance and persecution

Freshwater invertebrates data exempt from general release

Scientific name	Common name	Lifecycle part exempt from general release	Specific data exempt from general release	Scale below which it's exempt from general release	Vulnerability justification	Threat justification
Margaritifera margaritifera	Freshwater pearl mussel	Adult	Detailed location and records of numbers (density) of the species.	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan Annex II Habitats and Species Directive Berne Appendix I Schedule 5 Wildlife and Countryside Act Populations already on verge of extinction	Illegal pearl-fishing invariably kills mussels

Scientific name

Common name

Lifecycle part exempt from general release

Specific data exempt from general release

Scale below which it's exempt from general release

Vulnerability justification

Threat justification

Margaritifera margaritifera

Freshwater pearl mussel

Adult

Detailed location and records of numbers (density) of the species.

2 figure grid reference or

10 km square

Priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan

Annex II Habitats and Species Directive

Berne Appendix I

Schedule 5 Wildlife and Countryside Act

Populations already on verge of extinction

Illegal pearl-fishing invariably kills mussels

Marine species and habitats data exempt from general release

Scientific name	Common name	Lifecycle part exempt from general release	Specific data exempt from general release	Scale below which it's exempt from general release	Vulnerability justification	Threat justification
Palinurus elephas	Crawfish	All	Detailed location and records of numbers (density) of the species.	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	UK Biodiversity Action Plan Welsh Assembly Government S.42. Decline in Wales since 1980 (Hunter 1999)	Commercial and recreational fishing is threatening stocks
Ostrea edulis	Native oyster	All	Detailed location and records of numbers (density) of the species.	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	UK Biodiversity Action Plan Welsh Assembly Government S.42.	Commercial fishing is threatening stocks.
IMX.Ost (biotope code)	Oyster bed habitat	N/a	Detailed location of biotope and records of numbers (density) of the species.	20 km square	UK Biodiversity Action Plan Welsh Assembly Government S.42.	Commercial fishing is threatening stocks
Hippocampus guttulatus	Seahorse	All	Detailed location and records of numbers (density) of the species.	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	UK Biodiversity Action Plan Welsh Assembly Government S.42. Berne Convention, CITES, OSPAR priority species Very few recorded in Welsh waters, but numbers may increase with sea temperature rise	Collecting for aquaria
Hippocampus hippocampus	Short snouted seahorse	All	Detailed location and records of numbers (density) of the species.	2 figure grid reference or 10 km square	UK Biodiversity Action Plan Berne Convention, CITES, OSPAR priority species Currently no records for Wales but may increase with sea temperature rise	Collecting for aquaria

Bat species data exempt from general release

These are bat species either known to occur in the UK or be potential transient species. Other bat species which are transient and not listed will also be classed as exempt from general release.

Scientific Name	Common Name
Myotis alcathoe	Alcathoe bat
Barbastella barbastellus	Barbastelle
Myotis bechsteinii	Bechstein's bat
Myotis brandtii	Brandt's bat
Plecotus auritus	Brown long-eared bat
Pipistrellus pipistrellus	Common pipistrelle
Myotis daubentonii	Daubenton's bat
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum	Greater horseshoe bat
Plecotus austriacus	Grey long-eared bat
Nyctalus leisleri	Leisler's bat
Rhinolophus hipposideros	Lesser horseshoe bat
Pipistrellus nathusii	Nathusius' pipistrelle
Myotis nattereri	Natterer's bat
Nyctalus noctula	Noctule
Eptesicus serotinus	Serotine
Pipistrellus pygmaeus	Soprano pipistrelle
Myotis mystacinus	Whiskered bat
Myotis myotis	Greater mouse-eared bat (possibly transient)

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