Transcript Marine Bill
The Marine Bill The Bill covers... • Marine Management Organisation • Marine planning • Streamlined marine licensing • Nature conservation • Improved inshore fisheries management • Better enforcement • Migratory and freshwater fish measures • Coastal access The Marine Bill • Draft Bill out to consultation – April 2008 • Queens speech & introduction in House of Lords – December 2008 • Report stage in HoL completed this week • Introduction in Commons later this month • Royal assent – likely Oct/Nov 2009 • Target for vesting of MMO – April 2010 Marine Management Organisation • The MMO • will be the UK Government’s marine delivery body • will bring functions together in one body: Marine planning; marine licensing; fisheries management; nature conservation and enforcement. • will work closely with Local Authorities, IPC, Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs) and others to integrate management of our seas with land at the coast. What will the MMO do? Marine planning Preparing marine plans Marine licensing Marine Act and Electricity Act licensing, Harbour orders Marine fisheries Defra’s marine fisheries management functions Nature conservation Furthering MCZ objectives, contributing to site selection, nature conservation orders. Monitoring and enforcement Enforcement of sea fisheries, nature conservation and licensing legislation Other functions Providing advice, appointing IFCA members, making effective use of data Key benefits of marine planning Planning is proactive marine management - we won’t just be waiting for things to happen, we’ll be setting policies then delivering them Brings people together and allows them to shape the future handling of our seas Provides a coordinated point of information about the marine environment and future needs Planning process Marine objectives Marine policy statement Marine plans Licensing decisions How Marine Planning will be delivered Stage 1 - UK Marine Policy Statement • Jointly agreed and adopted by all UK administrations • UK objectives and priorities for sustainable development of the seas • Brings together all policies which impact on marine environment (including National Policy Statements) Stage 2 - Series of marine plans • Prepared by the new MMO • Looks at all activities, resources and needs of an area • Guides decisions on licences and other decisions by public bodies • Helps engage people in the importance of the marine environment Marine Planning – Getting involved • The MMO will publish a Statement at the beginning of the development of each plan setting out how it intends to involve people during each stage. • There will be early opportunities to input into the planning process as well as a full consultation. Marine licensing • Clearer, simpler, streamlined marine licensing • Support for marine planning and holistic decision making • More effective enforcement tools • Modernising and consolidating FEPA and CPA • Reducing Burdens (25% + fewer licences) Marine licensing Marine licensing Modernising marine fisheries management Inshore Reform • new Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities to ensure use of sea fisheries resources is managed sustainably, including special requirements to protect MCZs • adjust membership to improve decision making and local stakeholder involvement • strengthened and consolidated enforcement powers with stronger penalties for offences Marine Conservation Zones • A new conservation tool - to conserve rare, threatened and representative species/habitats • MCZs will complement European marine sites to form a coherent network of marine protected areas by 2012 • Ministers to designate MCZs and set their conservation rules • Flexible mechanism – level of protection for MCZs will vary (from ‘sustainable use’ to ‘highly protected’) Selection of MCZs • Regional projects to identify and consider possible sites - based on NE’s ‘Finding Sanctuary’ project in South West • Key role for stakeholders from an early stage • Ministers will then receive formal recommendations from Natural England and JNCC • Designation can take account of socio-economic factors • Too early to predict number of MCZs or extent of coverage – depends on what comes out of regional projects Coastal Access • Access to the coast around England • No new creation of rights of way & protection of existing rights • Flexible means of local decision making to ensure sensible routes through or around existing ports etc And meanwhile . . . The EU is implementing the Marine Strategy Framework Directive which requires us to achieve good environmental status by 2020 The Council of Ministers has begun to discuss a programme to reform the CFP in 2012 The Marine Bill gives us many of the tools we need to apply these changes and to help lead marine debate in Europe. The Marine Bill - Making it real The Bill will give us: • A new Marine Management Organisation • World’s first comprehensive marine planning system – strategic planning for all activities in the sea • More efficient, more transparent, more holistic licensing • Network of marine protected areas • Better local marine fisheries and environmental management • Better protection for migratory and freshwater fish • Greater access to our English coastline The Marine Bill