The End of the Line

If you missed “The End of the Line” on More4 yesterday, there’s good
news. It’s available on 4oD for 30 days at:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-end-of-the-line/4od#3006316

What Greenpeace say about it:

Missed it in cinemas? Here’s your chance to see the film that changed the way people think about what’s on their dinner plate. It’s a compelling story, brilliantly told, and you need to see it if you haven’t already.

Marine Reserves Leaflet - Sept 2009

We have created a new leaflet calling on people to contact their MP, urging them to support the soon-to-be-tabled MARINET amendment to the Marine and Coastal Access Bill. This amendment will establish a requirement within the bill to create an ecologically coherent network of Highly Protected Marine Reserves (or Highly Protected “Marine Conservation Zones”, to use the Government terminology).

Click on the picture of the leaflet to the right to access the PDF version and please print as many of these leaflets as you require for distribution. If you prefer, email bill.rigby@marinereserves.org.uk to request copies. The leaflets will also be available at the MARINET stall at the Friends of the Earth conference this weekend, so if you will be there, please come to the stall to collect your copies of the leaflet.

Night time raid?

As we approach discussion of the heart of the Bill, at 9.15 pm on Day 5, 23 February 2009, we saw the first division of the House.  The amendment seemed innocuous enough, it said:

101A: Clause 66, page 37, line 30, after second “the” insert “local and global”

and yet this precipitated a divsion!  Of course, it was defeated.  The argument was all about the meaning of the word ‘environment’ in the Bill.  The first serious skirmish – what more is to follow?

Day 6 in Committee, on 3 March  began, at last, to look at the Marine Conservation chapter and salvoes poured down, thick and fast from Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Cross Bench peers.

Were government defences breeched?

Not yet, apparently.  We have transcribed the full text of this part of the debate, which records both how diligent are the opposition in the pursuit of safeguards for the marine environment, and how hard Government Ministers are having to work to reassure them.  Lord Eden of Winton quoted the MARINET briefing to support his presentation (page 4).

Manchester FoE have designed a postcard to be sent to MPs asking them to sign EDM 337 and write to Huw Irranca-Davies, the Minister responsible for the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, calling on him to strengthen the legislation.

If your MP hasn’t yet signed, why not send them the postcard?

• Draft letter to Tory MP
• Draft letter to Lib Dem MP
• Draft letter to Labour MP

It is included for completeness – we recommend against its use at present as it makes no mention of EDM 337.

However, the image is so relevant, we are thinking of using it again at a later stage – have you any views?  Please post a comment if you have.

If you would like us to supply you with copies, please email Bill Rigby, giving your name, address, the MP you will be targeting and how many copies you would like. Alternatively, feel free to print your own copies and distribute them.