The UK government is proposing a Marine Bill, to bring together all of the legislation covering our seas and the activities that take place there. As with the EU's Marine Strategy Directive, this is an opportunity to make oceans management more holistic, and an opportunity to make sure that protection of the marine environment is taken seriously.
Crucially, the Marine Bill should provide legislation that allows for the creation of a network of protected areas in UK waters. Greenpeace is calling for 40 per cent of the world’s oceans to be set aside as fully-protected Marine Reserves, excluding all destructive activities, including fishing.
The Marine Bill has been much delayed – but the government finally published a draft Bill in April this year. This is just the start of the parliamentary process – but it is effectively the last chance to get the Marine Bill through before the next election. The UK, and all other EU Member States already have an obligation to protect marine species, and marine ecosystems under the EU Habitats' Directive, but so far they have failed to deliver on this.
Hillary Benn is the UK Environment Minister, and is responsible for the Marine Bill. We want him to be proactive in bringing forward a strong Marine Bill, which takes protection of the marine environment seriously. We also want him to champion Marine Reserves as our Environment Minister in the EU - and the Marine Bill gives the UK an opportunity to lead by example when it comes to protecting the marine environment.
If the Marine Bill doesn’t deliver on Marine Reserves – it will have failed.
