Please act now. Parliament is voting on this issue on Monday 26th October.

How to email your MP

1. Go to Friends of the Earth’s “Contact your MP” page and enter your postcode: http://www.foe.co.uk/community/resource/contact_mp.html
2. Choose “Email this MP”
3. Paste in the text under the “Suggested Letter” heading, remembering to add your MP’s name at the top and your own name at the bottom.

You can also visit your MP in your constituency this weekend (Friday/Saturday). Telephone your MP’s constituency office to find out whether this is possible.

Suggested Letter

Dear [MP Name],

Amendment 3 to Report Stage of Marine and Coastal Access Bill

I am asking for your support for Amendment 3 tabled by Katy Clark MP to the Report Stage of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill on Monday 26th October in the House of Commons. Amendment 3 relates to Clause 117 of the Bill, and reads:

Clause 117 : Grounds for the designation of MCZs (Amendment in bold)

(1) The appropriate authority may make an order under section 116 if it thinks that it is desirable to do so for the purpose of conserving -

(a) marine flora and fauna;
(b) marine habitats or types of marine habitat;
(c) features of geological or geomorphological interest;
(d) the marine ecosystem as a whole.

This amendment is concerned with placing highly protected marine reserves on the face of the Act. The protection of “the marine ecosystem as a whole” is the agreed definition of a highly protected marine reserve. The Government and the front bench of other parties have declared their commitment to highly protected marine reserves, but do not want a duty in law placed upon them to create such reserves. This amendment respects that declaration. Instead, it simply establishes a power to create highly protected reserves, without any duty to do so being placed on the Secretary of State.

Highly protected marine reserves are a key tool in the rebuilding of fish stocks and the repair of seriously damaged marine ecosystems. This amendment ensures that this tool will exist in law. It can only be used by the Secretary of State to protect fish stocks within the 6 nautical mile limit, but its existence in UK law will enable the Government to persuade the EU that a reform of the Common Fisheries Policy should embrace a similar power to protect our fish stocks from 6 nautical miles out to 200 nautical miles. This is a first step to secure this important change to the CFP.

As I say, Amendment 3 only creates a power and not a duty on the Secretary of State. So, may I ask you to consider placing your name to Amendment 3 on the Order Paper for Report Stage on 26th October, and that you will be in the House on that day to vote for Amendment 3.

Yours sincerely,

The Background

Our earlier advice to you about writing to your MP to ask him/her to support the amendment of Clause 123 of the Marine Bill no longer applies. The members of the Wildlife and Countryside Link with whom we were in partnership on this amendment now no longer want to push the amendment to Clause 123 to the vote. Thus, highly protected marine reserves will not be placed on the face of the Bill or become a legal entity by this means. MARINET is therefore withdrawing from the Clause 123 amendment.

The good news, we have managed to table an entirely new amendment which will be a Voting Amendment i.e. the wording will be on the fact of the Act and will have legal force. This is an amendment to Clause 117. It is being tabled by Katy Clark MP, and full details are in the attached letter we want you to send to your MP.

This amendment, known as Amendment 3 on the House of Commons Order Paper for the Report Stage of the Bill, will be debated and voted upon on Monday, 26th October.

As you will appreciate, this is only 7 days away. We therefore need you to act immediately in sending your letter to your MP asking him/her to vote for Amendment 3 on Monday 26th October.

Your need to act now is made more urgent by the fact that there is a Postal Strike on Thursday 22nd / Friday 23rd October. Your letter must arrive with your MP by Friday 23rd October. Therefore the options for you to get your message to your MP are:

1. Send your letter first class by the last post on Tuesday 20th October to guarantee postal delivery. The postal address of the House of Commons is Westminster, London SW1A 0AA.
2. Send you letter in an email to your MP, explaining that you are doing so because of the postal strike. The email address of most MPs is their surname followed the initial of their first christian name. Thus if your MP’s name is John Brown, his email address is brownj@parliament.uk Nearly all MPs use this address system, but the odd one does not. If you find your email is returned undelivered, visit http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/mps_and_lords/alms.cfm where you will be able to obtain the email address (Click on the first letter of the MP’s surname on the key facility, and then scroll across to the right to visit the foot of the page of their parliamentary biographical details, or visit their website). Any difficulty, contact me.
3. You can visit your MP in your consituency this weekend (Friday/Saturday). Telephone your MP’s constituency office to find out whether this is possible.

The key thing is that you get your letter to your MP by this weekend (Friday), as the vote is on the Monday.

The letter you send will need you to enter your address, the date, the name of the MP and your signature. All else is covered. The letter is attached, see document titled K Clark amendment supporters letter to MP 18 Oct 09.doc

We can win this vote on Amendment 3 to Clause 117. We – that is you, collectively – are now in control of the amendment of the Marine Bill to get it to include highly protected marine reserves as a legal entity. The other marine NGOs are no longer interested. It is therefore down to us. Katy Clark MP, our amendmend sponsor, will be contacting the MPs who signed EDM 337 and have thus called for highly protected marine reserves (225 MPs) and if you, all of you, can contact your MP and get them to vote on Monday 26th then we will have a majority.

If you have friends or family members who can contact another MP, in a neighbouring consituency or elsewhere, please send them the attached MARINET letter and get them to send it to their MP. The vote of every MP will count on 26th October.

So, here we are. Crunch-day is approaching. The campaign has swung this way and that, and many obstacles have been thrown in our path. But, if we can win the vote on Monday 26th, then we have won.

Therefore, apologies for this late twist in events, but everything is down to you now. Please send that letter.

Our sincerest thanks from the Campaign Team, and get in touch with me if you need anything.

Regards,
Stephen Eades
stephen.eades@marinereserves.org.uk

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.

The Living Seas report by the Wildlife Trusts is also cited in the Big Issue article. This report states that basking sharks have declined by 95% and the once ubiquitous common skate is on the verge of extinction. The report also observes that dolphins, whales and seals have all suffered in recent years and that fish stocks have collapsed. “The marine environment — our life support system — is on its knees” the Wildlife Trusts report states.

Abigail Herron, a member of MARINET and Manchester FOE, is a diver and has first-hand experience of how marine wildlife has declined near Anglesey. “The waters around Anglesey” she says “are very rich in biodiversity and you used to find a lot of dogfish there, but you just don’t see them anymore.”

MARINET believes that the only way to reverse this decline in marine biodiversity, which is not just due to over-fishing but also pollution, development and, increasingly, climate change is to establish a widespread and extensive network of marine reserves throughout UK seas out 200 nautical miles where all damaging human activities are forbidden. This way the marine ecosystem as a whole can be protected, and be allowed to heal and recover. MARINET is proposing an amendment to the Report Stage of the Marine Bill in the House of Commons which will allow for precisely this. The amendment will mean that marine reserves can be created not just to protect habitats, species and geomorphological features (as the current draft of the Marine Bill proposes), but that marine reserves can also be created in areas to protect “the marine ecosystem as a whole”. This is the key phrase and concept that will ensure that the UK Marine Bill can deliver on its political promises. At present, this phrase and concept is absent from the legislation.

The Marine and Coastal Access Bill has completed its Committee Stage in the House of Commons. The final steps, the Report Stage and Third Reading will be in October. It will then become law.

So, where are we now?

In our view, Government has frustrated the very reasonable and responsible ambitions of those moving the amendments. Our concerns are that Government has refused to include ‘on the face of the Bill’

• highly protected marine reserves
• scientific criteria as the primary means for identifying and designating marine conservation zones (MCZs)
• establishing conservation zones covering a sufficient area of the sea to enable economic and social uses of the seas to be environmentally sustainable.

These sticking points confirm some of the more depressing conclusions we have drawn from the experience so far, namely that in government there is

• a failure to appreciate the seriousness of the problem
• an overwhelming desire not to prejudice short term financial and other vested interests, and
• a general lack of vision as to what is possible in terms of ecosystem restoration in UK territorial waters

However, we can offer two cheers as they have accepted that the network of MCZs should

• be set up in an initial form by 2012, and
• be ecologically coherent

We are promoting an amendment at the Report stage. This is intended to remedy some of the problems caused by the omissions. As things stand, a marine conservation zone is little more than a museum whose job is to exhibit interesting habitats or species. We want it to be clear that the role of MCZs can also be an engine of ecosystem recovery. The lack of this expectation in the new law will, in our view, lead to a continuance of the collapse of fish stocks and the ecosystem which supports them.

What has happened to the Early Day Motion 337?

The EDM has been asking for a “widespread network of highly protected marine reserves throughout all UK seas … in order to rebuild UK commercial fish stocks and to halt the serious damage being caused to marine ecosystems”. It has been signed by a total of 225 MPs. Due to resignations and MPs taking up cabinet positions, the official total now stands at 219 MPs – making it 11th most popular out of 2109 EDMs tabled during the last parliamentary session. This massive cross-party support has been ignored by government. But it does show that our amendment will be well supported when it is proposed in October.

So, what are the next steps?

1. We have the agreement of a Labour MP to table an amendment at the Report Stage of the Bill.
2. We are in consultation with front bench representatives of the opposition parties on the wording of the amendment.
3. We are in discussion with other conservation NGOs to seek their cooperation and campaigning support
4. The Campaign Team will write to each of the EDM signatories, explaining the position, and seeking their support when the amendment is tabled.
5. We will ask all local groups and campaign supporters served by MPs who have already signed to also write to their MP, asking for their support of the Amendment.

The next month or so is a crucial period.  There is still time and opportunity to make this improvement to the Bill. The Marine Reserves web site (www.marinereserves.org.uk) will keep you posted on progress and include copies of draft letters and suggestions for individual action.

Please contact me directly for information or advice on 07785 572713 or bill.rigby@marinereserves.org.uk

With all best wishes,

Bill Rigby
Marine Reserves Campaign Team Leader

In our view, Government has frustrated the very reasonable and responsible ambitions of those moving the amendments

Government has refused including ‘on the face of the Bill’

• highly protected marine reserves
• scientific criteria as the primary means for identifying and designating marine conservation zones (MCZs)
• establishing conservation zones covering a sufficiently extensive area of the sea to enable economic and social uses of the seas to be environmentally sustainable

However, we can offer two cheers as they have accepted that the network of MCZs should

• be set up in an initial form by 2012, and
• be ecologically coherent

We are looking for support for an amendment at the Report stage.  This is intended to remedy some of the problems caused by the omissions.

A recent correspondent complained about the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, and I certainly agree it is a disaster. Like the Common Agricultural Policy, also a disaster, it is devised by politicians who ignore science. What that correspondent failed to mention is that a bill to improve the character of British seas, including our North Sea, is making its way though parliament, just having exited the House of Lords and moved to the Commons.

However, this bill in it present form is inadequate, rather like the early Climate Change Bill, which was also inadequate until it was beefed up. Readers should write to their MPs and demand the strengthening of this bill.

It does call for Marine Reserves but information around the world shows that unless they are highly protected they will do nothing to increase species. We already have a few Marine Reserves, but they are not doing their job because all kinds of exploitative activities still go on therein. Highly protected means no exploitative activities at all, including trawling, which destroys the sea bed.

The original bill did not call for these marine reserves to be in an ecologically connected network, but fortunately it has been amended to include this, as it is worthless to have marine reserves dotted here and there with no connection between them.

The timing of this bill is also left in limbo in its present form. Marine Bills are required by EU members, but without a time limit there is no obligation on the Government to move forward speedily.

And, most unusual, there is no mention of science in the bill. Obviously the establishment and location of these reserves should be based on science and it’s science that tells us that our seas are dangerously over-fished.

Your correspondent mentioned Charles Clover and The End of the Line. May I also recommend The Unnatural History of the Sea written by Callum Roberts of York University, which provides the science.

The Marine arm of Friends of the Earth, called Marinet, has been lobbying for 30% of UK seas out to 200 nautical miles to be highly protected marine reserves by 2015.

This is the only way to save our seas.

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.

This is not the view of MARINET, nor indeed of the Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament when they considered the draft legislation last summer.

MARINET believes that if a specific power to create highly protected marine reserves is not written into the Bill, then there will be a retreat from this committment by future Governments as economic and social interests argue that such a restrictive provision (no extractive activity) would prejudice their freedom. Thus, the conservation of the sea, its habitats and biodiversity, will continue to remain subordinate to economic and social interests (e.g. fishing, mineral extraction and other commercial activities).

An amendment to include highly protected marine reserves was introduced was tabled at the Report Stage in the House of Lords on 12th May 2009 by the Liberal Democrats with crossbench support, but it was not supported by the Conservatives who, like the Government, argued that to write the provision for highly protected marine conservation zones (MCZs) into the Bill was “unnecessary” and thus the amendment failed to secure enough support and so was not pressed to a vote by the Liberal Democrats.

MARINET has argued for six key amendments to the Marine Bill. These are:

1. The need for highly protected marine reserves to be written into the legislation.
2. The need for the selection of marine reserves (marine conservation zones) to be based primarily on scientific criteria, with social and economic factors taking a subordinate role in this process. At present the legislation does not specify the primacy of scientific criteria in the selection process, and the Government and the other political parties have refused to support this amendment
3. The legislation recognises that marine reserves will need constitute a network, but the legislation does not specify that this network should be “ecologically coherent”, so an amendment to this effect is required.  This amendment has been supported by the Conservativs and Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, and the Government has been forced to concede that an amendment is required.  This amendment will be tabled (precise wording presently unknown) at the Third Reading of the Bill in the House of Lords on 8th June.
4. The marine reserves network must be sufficiently large in order to ensure that UK seas are managed sustainably (i.e. balance conservation, soical and economic interests).  The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution recommended in 2004 that at least 30% of UK seas should become highly protected marine reserves, but MARINET has found that no politcal party in the present UK Parliament will support this recommendation.  MARINET has therefore had to desist from advocating this specific objective, and has instead argued that the Bill should be amended so “that the network [of marine reserves] is sufficiently extensive to enable economic and social uses of the sea to be environmentally sustainable“. No political group in the House of Lords has supported this amendment.
5. The marine reserves network should be established in an intial ecologically coherent form by the 2012.  Currently the legislation gives not date by which the network of marine reserves should be established, so MARINET has asked for the Bill to include this amendment which corresponds with the UK legal commits under OSPAR and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Government said it would meet its international legal obligations, but wanted no dates to be included in the legislation. No other politcal party in the House of Lords fely compelled to table this amendment.  Thus the date for the ecologically coherent network of marine reserves, either in an initial or a comprehensive form, remains undefined by the Marine Bill.

The other key purpose that MARINET has argued that the Marine Bill must serve is to rebuild our commercial fish stocks. At present, 88% of commercial fish stocks in EU seas are being exploited beyond their maximum sustaianble yield and 30% are being exploited beyong their safe biological limit. These are the latest figures from the European Commission. This over-exploitation of our fisheries makes new management practices both essential and urgent, but the UK Government insists that the UK Marine Bill is not the place to address this issue.  it argues that such reform can only come from the European commission via the CFP.  However, as MARINET has pointed out to the UK Government, powers to prohibit fishing in spawning nursery and other key marine areas of biodiversity already exist under the CFP and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive which is now operative gives the UK conservation powers to recommend the cessation of fishing in areas of UK seas out to 200 nautical miles when conservation imperatives require. Such imperatives are the maintenance of commercial fish stocks in a sound condition along with marine food chains (see Annex 1 of the MSFD).

MARINET has explained these facts to the UK Government and the political parties in the House of Lords during their consideration of the Marine Bill (see Briefing Paper, titled Briefing on UK Legal Powers to create Marine Reserves). However, at the present time, no politician in the UK Parliament is prepared to act on this matter and no political party believes that the UK Marine Bill should address this issue.

It is MARINET’s view that the UK Marine Bill can and must address the issue of the sustainabilty and re-building of the commercial fish stocks in UK seas, and that the UK Parliament has the necessary sovereign powers to do this in the UK Marine Bill.

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.

Local groups are working together to protect and enhance the marine environment around the UK coast. Bill Rigby explains why reserves are the way forward.

Q What is MARINET?

The marine information network of Friends of the Earth local groups. We have about 40 member groups and we provide an information service on marine issues.

Q What’s the key problem you’re tackling?

Our priority now is to persuade the Government to improve its Marine nad Coastal Access Bill. We know less about the sea than we do about the surface of the moon, yet it contains most of the biomass of the planet, and the majority of the biodiversity.

Humanity is damaging this mysterious ecosystem through overfishing and the use of damaging fishing gear but also through extraction of oil, sand and gravel. Our sewage system decants untreated waste, and coastal and harbour management practices have serious impacts. Stocks of key species are near extinction, and many others at unsustainable levels.

Q Why are Marine Reserves the solution?

There is a real need to regulate and protect this better – existing legislation is confusing and ineffective. The concept of Marine Reserves – exclusive no-take zones – cuts through the confusion by saying “leave 30 per cent of our seas, out to 200 miles, alone for a very long time” with the remaining 70 per cent used for business as usual. This method was recommended by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) and is backed by a huge body of scientific opinion. But it is missing from the Marine Bill.

Q What progress have you made?

We have an Early Day Motion (EDM 337) with all-party support which in a few weeks has reached number 12 out of over 700 EDMs. It simply asks for the RCEP recommendation to be incorporated in the bill.

We have strong support from MPs, major conservation agencies, senior academics, Greenpeace, the Marine Conservation Society and the Co-op, a major buyer of fish, which is running a campaign through its shops.

We are regularly meeting and briefing key members of the House of Lords, where the bill is being discussed.

TAKE ACTION

Write to or talk with your MP about EDM 337. Write a letter to the press (MARINET can suggest wording) or organise a public meeting on the issue. MARINET can help you with speakers and send materials.

Join the campaign at marinet.org.uk