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Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

That sounded like a robust defence of the words in Clause 149(1) and (2). In a sense, the Bill seeks to do what the noble Baroness suggested. We start from a premise of defining the role of an IFCA; it is to manage the exploitation of sea fisheries resources in a district, because they have to be managed—that is a fact of life. In managing those resources, the authority must, ""seek to ensure that exploitation … is carried out in a sustainable way"." The Bill goes on to say that an IFCA needs to, ""seek to balance the social and economic benefits of exploiting the sea … with the need to protect the marine environment"," and in subsection (2)(c) to, ""seek to balance the different needs of persons engaged in the exploitation of sea fisheries resources in the district"." In the light of our debate, there is clearly some dispute as to whether we have got the balance right, and I have agreed to reflect on this. The noble Baroness has said that this will be a difficult task and that we are talking about local communities who are concerned with the environment and with the exploitation of sea fisheries. Getting the balance right is crucial but difficult.