The UK government has now published a White Paper (consultation document) on its proposals for a Marine Bill. This Bill will cover a planning system for the sea, new licensing arrangements, new conservation powers and a new Agency to oversee the management of these issues.

MARINET (the Marine & Coastal Issues Information Network of national Friends of the Earth) has a Steering Group which is preparing a response to these legislative proposals, which will be submitted to the Government.  Of particular interest is the question of whether management of our seas will now seriously involve an ecosystem approach, combined with an extensive network of marine reserves to enable fisheries and marine biodiversity to recover from its present very low ebb.

You can view the Marine Bill White Paper on the DEFRA website, or purchase a hard copy from defra publications, £32. The MARINET website is updated regularly and has much interesting information on other marine coastal issues, such as Coastal Bathing Water Quality, Coastal Erosion and the detrimental effects of Marine Aggregates Dredging.

Christine Harding

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