LONDON, UK (19 Mar 2002) -- British marine wildlife experts gave a subdued welcome to proposed new legislation that aims to give marine sites off the coast of Britain the same legal protection as their land-based counterparts. The Marine Wildlife Conservative Bill has achieved cross-party support and passed its third reading in the Commons yesterday. It will provide increased protection for Britain's continental shelf and adjacent waters out to 200 nautical miles and is backed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which seeks greater protection for what it calls "the UK's forgotten environment." But in the Devon and Cornwall, which has a large proportion of Britain's coastline, the welcome was lukewarm. Colin Speedie, chairman of the Shark Trust and co-founder of Seaquest - the marine arm of Cornwall Wildlife Trust - described it as "a welcome first step" in a long journey before UK legislation comes close to catching up with that of other countries. "It's a step in the right direction and it is very, very good to see that the marine environment is actually being taken on, and I congratulate the proposer for putting it forward," Speedie said. "Our concern is that this issue needs more than just a little tidying up and straightening at the edges. It needs a proper White Paper and a proper Act of Parliament." Joan Edwards, director of marine programs for the 47 Wildlife Trusts, who is based in Plymouth, said "It is a very small step and there is no way you can say it's going to solve all of our problems." | | "But what we have ended up with is all-party support for this marine Bill," she added. "The main benefit is that it has raised awareness politically of the marine environment. The issue is now being talked about at Number 10." In the Commons MPs began the detailed report stage debate on the Bill yesterday. Environment Minister Michael Meacher moved to include a clause stressing the need to take account of "sustainable development" in an effort to strike a balance between protection of the marine environment and the legitimate interests of other users of the sea, including fishermen. "The Government regards protection of the marine environment as a priority," Meecher said. He added that the government was committed to providing "appropriate resources" to fund marine protected areas of special interest, which would also involve protecting wildlife as deep as 30 meters below the surface. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
