Natural England

2 December 2008

Natural England Chief Executive calls for Parliament to deliver “Marine Act with teeth”

Film clips of life in England's seas [7.4 MB]*

With the Marine and Coastal Access Bill expected to be included in tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech, Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, called on Parliament to seize the “once in a lifetime opportunity” that was being provided to protect England’s marine environment.

Helen Phillips said, “Environmental protection has existed on land for nearly 60 years, but England’s seas have been left almost completely undefended. The result has been a severe loss of marine life and extensive damage to marine ecosystems. Parliament has a once in a lifetime opportunity to put this right, and to deliver a Marine Act with teeth that can secure a better future for England’s seas.”

The Marine & Coastal Access Bill contains provisions to look after England’s marine environment by introducing a network of protected areas – Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) – whose use would be regulated by a new marine management organisation and other marine regulators. Up to now, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have covered only 2.2% of UK waters and there is an urgent need for a more extensive and robust MCZ network to be put in place.

But for the Bill to be effective, there needs to be a statutory duty to designate a network of MCZs and to do so within an agreed timescale. Without this sort of binding commitment, there are no guarantees that a network would ever be put in place, leaving the Bill exposed to the type of drift that has resulted in only one statutory Marine Nature Reserve – around Lundy Island – ever being designated in England. Parliament also needs to ensure that the Bill has teeth in the ways it classifies damage to an MCZ as an offence, and the ways in which damaging operations are monitored.

Helen Phillips, added, “Safeguarding the future of our seas is one of the most important environmental challenges we face – in the coming weeks, we will know if Parliament is up to the challenge of delivering a Marine Act strong enough to reverse the devastation we have inflicted on our marine environment in recent decades.”

Beside its provisions for the marine environment, the Marine & Coastal Access Bill also promises to transform access around England’s coastline, by empowering Natural England to secure, for the first time, a walking route around the whole coast – at least 30% of which is closed to the public at present.

Commenting on the coastal access proposals, Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said, “There are enormous social, health and environmental benefits in enabling the public to access more of England’s coastline. It is important that the Bill gives Natural England flexible powers to deliver new coastal routes while respecting others’ use of the same land. The Bill presents a real opportunity to take a historic step forward in the way people are able to enjoy England’s wonderful countryside and coastline”.

Coastal Access - with details of our new draft scheme
Marine Protected Areas

* Note:
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