As expected, now that the Bill has reached the House of Commons, little time is being wasted in progressing the business.  The full text shows how well briefed many members are.  The Minster, Hilary Benn, was pressed from the very beginning of his presentation on the key themes – ecological coherence, highly protected marine reserves, the impact of EU legislation, etc.  The moral authority of the interventions was reinforced by the strong backing for EDM 337, which on this day has gained 211 signatures.

Serious students are also directed to the video of the session, where the business of the Marine Bill can be seen (start at about one third of the way through the clip).

Today is World Oceans Day and Malcolm Hunter of the Marine Reserves campaign team writes:

A study published last year, in the journal Science, identified the marine environment around the UK as among the most degraded in the world, as a result of human activities. Many fish stocks are close to commercial, or even actually extinction and much of the sea bed has been turned into a lifeless desert, as a result of the damage done by activities such as bottom trawling and aggregate dredging.

Read the full article in the Leicester Mercury.

Despite detailed and extensive debate during April and May of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill in the House of Lords, both during its Committee and Report Stage, the Government has resisted all arguments and attempts to have highly protected marine reserves (HPMRs) incorporated into the text of the legislation.
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A recent article in The Observer examined the global demand for fish and possibility that before very long it will be off the menu for good.

The following week, The Observer published a number of letters in response, including one from the Fisheries Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, and another from the Marine Reserves campaign’s very own Malcolm Hunter.