Draft Marine Bill not robust enough to undo damage to seas
05 December 2008
For immediate release - 5 December 2008
The Green Party says the Government's Draft Marine Bill is not robust enough to undo the decades of damage to the seas and marine ecosystems, and will press for amendments to remove the inherent weaknesses within the legislation.
The Draft Bill proposed to set up Marine Conversation Zones to offset the negative impact to the ecosystem and to economic sustainability through years of overfishing, sewage and mining pollution.
The leader of the Green Party, Dr Caroline Lucas, commented:
"The Government proposals, while introducing some helpful mechanisms will only offer local remission. They do not address the fundamental implications of the very serious decline in commercial fishing productivity and the damage that present fishing practices and other activities are doing to the marine ecosystem."
She cited a report by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution 2004, which highlighted the seriousness of the situation and called for a network of highly protected marine reserves covering 30 per cent of UK territorial waters out to 200 nautical miles.
Dr Lucas said the network should be set up by at least 2015 in order for UK waters to achieve good environmental status and to also meet EU obligations.
She added:
"The UK has sovereign rights adequate to introduce this within our territorial waters. Nothing less can restore the damage to the ecosystem and halt the continued decline in revenues for the fishing industry."
"We have a ‘once in a lifetime' opportunity to set a standard for the rest of Europe. We need to begin the process of economic recovery of the fishing industry, and restore the viability of one of the world's most polluted and degraded ecosystems."
Note for editors.
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in their 25th Report, 2004, recommended the setting up of a network of highly protected marine reserves covering at least 30 per cent of UK seas within the European Economic Zone.
The deadline 2015 is recommended because the UK Parliament is bound by the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive which requires the formulation of plans by 2015 to deliver "good environmental status" throughout UK seas out to 200 nautical miles.
For further information contact the press office on 020 7561 0282. For out of hours press enquiries contact TracyDighton-Brown 07595 250 111.
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