A draft Marine Bill is to be discussed in the new session of the UK Parliament, which opened on 17 May. Environmental groups have welcomed the move and are urging the government to press ahead so that a full bill can be introduced quickly.
The Wildlife and Countryside Link, a coalition of UK environmental NGOs, is leading the campaign for a marine bill. They say that existing laws are failing to protect marine wildlife from damaging human activities and that expansion of the marine renewable energy industry will increase the pressure. They are seeking legislation to better protect the UK’s marine environment, reform inshore fisheries and establish a marine spatial planning system to manage the needs of conservation, fisheries, energy and recreation in waters around the UK.
In its 2002 strategy for safeguarding UK seas, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs outlined their plans to review existing regulations and improve conservation and management of marine environments. More recently, in the run-up to the UK general election, all three major political parties pledged to introduce a marine bill. MPs have not yet decided on the full contents of the draft bill or the geographical area it will cover, but key measures will include:
- introduction of a streamlined system for planning and management of activities, as well as consenting to sustainable developments in coastal and marine waters;
- extension of the scope for protecting and restoring important marine areas, species and habitats; and
- updating existing piecemeal marine environmental legislation.