New marine protection legislation needed, please support the marine bill campaign

[Dr Stevil]

Some of you may already know about this issue, but for the benefit of those who don't, there is a campaign being run with the title A future for our seas. This is organized under the auspices of the Wildlife and Countryside Link (which is a collection of NGOs such as The Shark Trust, the Marine Conservation society, RSPB, WWF etc) to pressurize the government to introduce a comprehensive legislation to protect the marine environment, see text below from http://www.wcl.org.uk/)
More info at: http://www.wcl.org.uk/downloads/2004...gn_leaflet.pdf
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Wildlife & Countryside Link is calling for comprehensive legislation to achieve better protection for marine wildlife and effective management of our seas. Wildlife and Countryside Link is urging government to adopt a number of measures to improve marine protection, including:

A co-ordinated approach and overall vision for UK waters, including an ecosystem-based approach to managing the marine environment;

Improved, properly enforced marine legislation, including the designation of protected areas and better species protection;

A planning system to enable strategic and integrated - rather than piecemeal - management of activities at sea; and

A new system for managing inshore fisheries.

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Anyone wishing to suport this campaign can, if they're an MCS member request a Tompot Blenny postcard with a pre-printed message to Tony Blair by calling 01989 566017. Or you can write/print the same message onto a postcard as follows:

Addressed to
The Rt Hon Tony Blair, MP
10 Downing Stret
London
SW1 2AA

Prime Minister,
I am deeply concerned at the lack of protection for our marine environment, which is facing ever more serious threats. I call upon the Government to introduce a package of measures, including comprehensive legislation at a UK and country level, as a matter of urgency. I believe action is needed to ensure that the UK's marine environment is managed in an integrated and sustainable manner, and that our wonderful marine species and habitats are given the protection they deserve.
Yours sincerely,
Your name:
your address (inc postcode)
Date:

[Ali_Mc]

Cheers! Will do.

Ali

[Finless]

Marine protection zones (no commercial fishing) seem to be such an obvious thing to introduce I just can't believe ........

Also, given the amount of money that is wasted I'm sure they could afford to pay affected fishermen not to fish for a few years.

I can't make up my mind whether moving zones or static zones are best for stock replenishment? Static I suppose?

[David Wallace]

Ther are already protected zones, size limits, excluded dates, quotas etc


I assume that what they are saying is that this is not enough. Fine.

Problem is, there needs to be a world wide agreement as whenever something is done to legislate our inshore fishing the good old french and spaniards come over and take the fish for us. There have even been cases of spanish ships landing fish in harbours where the uk fleet coud not go to sea because of our legislation.

still I'm all for protecting the future stocks and a bit of conservation - I just dont see any real difference being made with the currnt approach

regards

[wreckweasel]

Dave,

Nail, meet head!

It seems to me this is something for those waste of space MEP's.

/Zak

[Finless]

I'm talking a total ban in certain costal zones - seems to work in other places where it has been tried?

[Chris Hall]

Liz & I got our cards off Steve W, and they have been sent.

Keep up the good work everyone!