WWF says key UK marine species under threat

Reuters 8 Jul 09;

LONDON (Reuters) - Much of Britain's marine biodiversity is under threat from human activity, according to a report on Wednesday which highlights the plight of harbour porpoises and Atlantic salmon.

Legislation currently passing through parliament does not go far enough to protect marine species, says the WWF-UK conservation organisation.

It says the danger comes from activities like oil and gas exploitation, fishing and emerging threats such as climate change.

Its latest research shows:

-- Despite being the most heavily protected species in the UK, populations of the harbour porpoise are still declining in areas around tshe UK due to incidental capture or by-catch

-- The pink sea fan, one of the most exotic of our sea bed species, continues to be damaged by fishing gear and is being put at greater risk of natural disease.

-- Seagrass beds which provide rich habitats for an array of marine life, including seahorses, and are an important source of food for wading birds, are still being damaged by activities such as anchoring and trawling, and depleted populations show no sign of recovery.

-- Atlantic salmon continue to decline and the UK-wide population is considered unstable. The numbers of salmon returning to British rivers from our seas are still a fraction of populations 30 years ago.

"Now is the crucial time to put things right, with a long awaited UK Marine and Coastal Access Bill close to being finalised," WWF-UK said.

However, it added, it has concerns that the legislation making its way through parliament will not go far enough to secure the health of some of our flagship species.

The organisation's marine officer, Dr Lyndsey Dodds, said in a statement: "WWF's Marine Health Check has shown no improvement in the status of iconic species such as the harbour porpoise since the year 2000.

"It is clear that the mish-mash of current laws governing the use of our seas is having a catastrophic effect on marine wildlife.

"We need to ensure that new legislation will reverse this trend and reduce the many pressures being placed on our most vulnerable species."

The WWF wants to Bill to be strengthened and says economic interests could still take precedence over conservation needs.

(Reporting by Olivia Smart; Editing by Steve Addison)