The Marine Bill
The Government’s Marine Bill comes into the Commons today, and it is a landmark piece of environmental legislation. As part of the Government’s sustainable development strategy, the Bill will help to balance environmental needs with economic and social demands to help prevent marine habitats and species being damaged by human activity.
This move has been widely welcomed. In calling for the Marine Bill, the WWF said: “Wildlife will benefit through a more comprehensive understanding of what activities are going on at sea and where protected areas can be established. Renewable energy will benefit through a clear process that provides certainty in the planning process and gives confidence to developers.”
Of particular interest locally is the provision in the Bill for the establishment of a Marine Management Organisation. Nick Brown strongly supported the case for the MMO to come to our region, and in February it was announced that the centre will be based in North Tyneside. The new organisation will bring with it an initial wave of more than 150 high skilled jobs. By bringing together many of the marine functions of the Government within a single body it will create a centre of marine expertise and will improve coordination of information and data.
The Marine Bill allows for the establishment of Marine Conservation Zones, which will safeguard rare species of plants and animals and protect the biodiversity of our seas. This Bill is the first time anywhere in the world that a country’s competing marine demands of wildlife, energy and resources have been brought together into one single strategy. And in the year of the sixtieth anniversary of the National Parks Act, the Bill will continue that legacy of opening our countryside to everyone by providing a long distance route along the coast of England which is open to everyone.
The Marine Bill will ensure that the extraordinary natural environment around the UK is protected for all users of the sea for generations to come.
