Charles Clover, The Telegraph 3 Apr 08;
Up to 20 per cent of British waters could be closed to activities such as fishing and oil exploration to protect threatened species under a Bill due to be published in draft.
Research carried out for the Government by the University of Bangor shows that a network of reserves covering 14-20 per cent of British waters would be enough to protect declining species such as the angel shark, porbeagle and common skate.
The draft Bill will establish Marine Conservation Zones to protect Britain's marine wildlife where damaging activities, which could be as minor as the dropping of anchor chains on sea grass beds, will be controlled.
These will be overseen and enforced, not by Natural England as environmentalists are demanding, but by reformed sea fisheries committees which will be called Sea Fisheries and Conservation Authorities.
The Bill, which the Government has promised to introduce within the lifetime of this Parliament, will also introduce controversial measures to give public access to some of the third of the coastline in England where it does not yet exist.
The Marine Bill will apply to England, though devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland are expected to come up with their own versions.
The Welsh Assembly has already expressed interest in setting up a series of "no take" marine reserves.
Jean-Luc Solandt of the Marine Conservation Society said that the Bill was unlikely to provide sufficient powers to prohibit damaging activities such as scallop-dredging from sensitive areas.
He said: "We fear the proposals set out in the draft Bill will only repeat the errors of the past, with Government allowing short-term commercial interests to compromise much-needed long-term protection and sustainability."
Sharon Thompson of the RSPB said: "We are gravely concerned that in reality all we will get is a rehash of the current, ineffective legislation."
"There are three things we are looking for in the Draft Bill to reassure us these new Zones will work.
"First, the UK Government must commit time, money and effort to surveying our seas so we can identify those areas that need protecting.
"Second, Zones should be identified and designated where survey data says they are needed.
"Experience has shown that when the decision to designate is swayed by economic or other factors, the environmental value of the area becomes an afterthought or inconvenience.
"Last, it has to be clear who is responsible for protecting these zones and that they have the powers to improve them where necessary.
"There have to be serious and enforceable penalties for damaging them."
"Without all that, we will be no better off than we are now."
