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Wednesday, 08 Jul 2009 00:01
The UK marine and coastal access bill is close to being finalised Printer friendly version The conservation organisation, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), has voiced concerns a government bill will not go far enough to protect marine life.

The UK marine and coastal access bill is close to being finalised, but according to the WWF there are concerns it will not secure the future health of some of the UK’s flagship species and habitats.

Research from the WWF found much of the threat to marine biodiversity was caused by human-induced activities, such as fishing and gas exploitation.

Dr Lyndsey Dodds, marine policy officer at WWF-UK said: “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 harbour porpoise is the most heavily protected species in the UK, yet its population is still declining due to incidental capture.

The WWF is calling on the government to strengthen the new bill. In its current form they say economic interests override conservation needs, and they are urging the government to designate marine protected areas according to scientific criteria alone.

Dr Dodds added: “The government has a golden opportunity through the marine and coastal access bill, to ensure that our marine species and habitats are protected, once and for all. We hope that when we receive the results of the next marine health check in five years time, these species will have started to recover thanks to robust and effective legislation