Yorkshire and Humber Green Party
Marine Bill campaign wins Green Party support
"We need radical action to give species a chance."
Green Party passes Marine Bill motion unanimously.
8.9.08
Hull and E.Riding Green Party celebrated today when their motion to launch a campaign for highly protected marine reserves was passed unanimously at Green Party conference in London.
"This
success is good news - but the condition of marine species is close to
disastrous," says
Bill Rigby of the Green Party and the Marinet campaign.
“Right
now, only 0.0001% of UK seas are marine reserves! The present Bill plans
to extend this to a maximum of only 2% over an indefinite period. But
the best science is urging at least 30%.”
"Highly protected marine reserves in the Bill will provide that chance but they're not in the Bill yet. Everyone needs to work hard to win over MPs - of whatever colour - for this vital ecological policy."
"We need radical action to give species a chance."
Join the campaign here - http://www.marinereserves.org.uk/
Bill Rigby, marine campaigner
------------------------------------------------------
Text of motion follows -
EMERGENCY
MOTION: the Marine Bill must include highly protected marine reserves
Background:
Many once common fish
species have been severely overfished: Cod, Herring, Halibut and Whiting
are at all time lows; North Sea spawning populations of Plaice,
Mackerel, Saithe and Sole are being harvested unsustainably. At fault
are over-exploitation and poor management. No change means these fish
will very likely cease to be available for food.
Although the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) regulates fishing for the 27 member states, the UK has sovereign powers to create marine reserves. If these reserves protect the whole marine ecosystem then the UK will also be protecting its own fish stocks.
So
that our fish stocks can recover, the Royal Commission on Environmental
Pollution, RCEP, has recommended that government set aside 30% of our
seas as highly protected marine reserves. A Parliamentary Join Committee
supports further points as below.
Currently,
only 2% of UK seas are marine reserves. Less than 0.002% have highly
protected marine reserve status.
The
Friends of the Earth Marinet group is also calling for the proposals
below.
Motion
The
Green Party is highly concerned with the serious decline in fish stocks
and marine biodiversity. We recognise that this is due to
over-exploitation and to poor management.
The
Green Party asks its various bodies and members to campaign for the
following to be incorporated into the proposed Marine Bill
- A
legal duty on the Secretary of State to create highly protected
marine reserves;
- For
these to form an ecologically coherent network based on sound
science;
- That a timetable be adopted for these to cover at least 30% of UK seas out to 200 nautical miles by 2015.
- That government should work to remove historic EU fishing rights in UK seas.
Green Party of England & Wales
