WWF UK has called for the protection of UK seas but it seems that government’s recent proposals night be compromised. It is said that the government has given promising indications for the establishment of marine conservation zones in its response to pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation on the draft Marine Bill. WWF is said to be not convinced that the government’s approach is strong enough.
Dr Simon Walmsley, Head of Marine at WWF-UK brief the media saying the organization is pleased that the government will be including a statutory duty on Minister’s to designate a network of marine protected areas and intend to report on this progress by 2012. He added that the Government’s commitment to introducing an effective marine planning system is still weak. He feared that the government’s approach is not to wider marine planning that will deliver effective marine protected areas and the sustainable use of marine resources.
According to Dr Simon Walmsley UK seas need to be managed as a single ecological unit and marine plans must therefore be developed for all waters. He explained that the government is not serious to make the UK Marine Bill work across political borders. WWF welcomes further clarity today on the role of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and its relationship with other bodies that will deliver marine functions.
WWF expressed that the MMO should take a key role in delivering sustainable resource use in UK waters and hopes to work with the government to ensure that this is a strong feature in the Bill.
