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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in bringing to a conclusion (a) the review of marine nature conservation, (b) the marine fisheries and environment enforcement review, (c) the review of coastal and marine consent and (d) the development of the EU marine strategy; and if she will make a statement. [188447] Mr. Morley: The Review of Marine Nature Conservation Working Group published its report to Government on 26 July. The report detailed its investigations and made recommendations for improving protection for marine habitats, species and ecosystems in the UK maritime area. The Government are considering the Working Group's report and hopes to respond to its recommendations by the end of the year. Defra published the Review of Marine Fisheries and Environment Enforcement on 8 July. The Review makes a number of recommendations on organisational options for inshore enforcement bodies, the promotion and licensing of sea angling and charging inshore commercial and recreational fishermen. Interested parties have until 29 September to comment. The Government will consider the Review in the light of these comments with a view to responding before the end of the year. The Government are still considering the options for possible longer-term reform to modernise and rationalise the current complex coastal and marine consenting regime, following the work by my noble Friend the Lord Rooker on the consents review. The draft EU Marine Thematic Strategy is being prepared by the European Commission. The UK has played an active role in the working groups, and will be participating in a stakeholder conference in November at which a first draft of the Strategy is due to be discussed. The Commission plan to submit the strategy to the European Council and Parliament by May 2005.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

424 c1937W;424 c1934-5W; 188447

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Conservation Coastal areas Fisheries Planning Marine animals Regulation Angling Seabed

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk