Sir, The Government’s response, just published, to last year’s Review of Marine Nature Conservation is disappointingly short of detail on how marine wildlife protection will be delivered. In particular, questions remain about the sort of protected areas the Government’s promised Marine Bill will establish.

The key to the success of the bill will be the extent to which wildlife is protected and competing marine interests managed. Half the UK’s wildlife is found at sea, ranging from vast numbers of seabirds to whales, rare corals and unusual deep-sea fish. Yet less than 0.001 per cent of our seabed is highly protected.

Marine legislation must safeguard these species and their habitats, and allow industry and developers to operate within environmental limits. A coherent policy for the seas demands that these various interests are properly managed and co-ordinated.

The Review of Marine Nature Conservation recommended the establishment of a representative network of marine protected areas. In its response, the Government focuses on protection of internationally important sites to deliver this objective.

This will certainly be necessary, but if ministers want to deliver their objective of productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas, they must go further, and make the Marine Bill the vehicle for protecting sites of national importance for wildlife, and establishing a network of highly protected marine reserves.

SAM FANSHAWE
Director of Conservation,
Marine Conservation Society

GRAHAM WYNNE
Chief Executive, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

STEPHANIE HILBORNE
Chief Executive, The Wildlife Trusts

CHRIS BUTLER-STROUD
Chief Executive, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

JILL BOWLING
Director of Conservation, WWF UK

ALEXIA WELLBELOVE
Director, Wildlife and Countryside Link
London SE1

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