Marine Act campaign
The need to safeguard our seas has never been stronger. WWF welcomes the publication of the Draft Marine Bill in April 2008. However if the Government is serious about safeguarding our seas it must include a full Marine Bill in November's Queen's Speech. In order to secure robust protection of UK seas it is essential that a Marine Bill is passed in both Westminster and Scotland, with appropriate devolved legislation in Wales and Northern Ireland. Our marine environment needs to be managed as a single ecological unit and as such WWF urges the administrations of all four countries to work together to achieve the rapid delivery of this legislation and the means to implement it.
With 20,000km of coastline, the UK is blessed with incredibly diverse coastal and marine habitats. These range from sheltered lagoons and coves, deep sea lochs and muddy estuaries to wave-lashed rocky coasts and deep waters off the edge of the continental shelf.
Sadly a complicated mish-mash of laws is all we have to manage the growing pressures of man's activities in UK seas. A multitude of organisations, laws and policies - sometimes conflicting and contradictory - govern the various activities in the sea around the UK. For example, there are separate laws for aggregate extraction, oil and gas extraction, wind farms, port development and fisheries.
We urgently need a new Marine Act to update the management of our activities at sea and to protect our marine wildlife and the entire marine ecosystem. The Marine Act must deliver smarter, more streamlined regulation and more joined-up government decisions.
The Campaign so far
Sally Bailey, North East Atlantic Marine Manager, WWF-UK, speaks about the crucial draft Marine Bill and how precious our seas and animals are.
Campaign issues
WWF has identified the key issues that need to be addressed in the government's marine bill.
A fair share of the sea
We need a UK Marine Bill now. Watch our film and see what those whose livelihoods depend on the sea have to say.