Reading West MP Martin Salter last week added his name in support of the Living Seas campaign which aims to regenerate wildlife habitat around the coast of Britain. Mr Salter attended the event hosted by the Wildlife Trust last week to highlight the launch of their document, entitled Living Seas.
Mr Salter, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling, has also given his support to Commons Early Day Motion no. 640 urging Parliament to press ahead with “the designation of an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas over the next two years.”
Martin Salter, who served on the recent Marine Bill Committee, said:-
“I am delighted to support The Wildlife Trusts’ vision of Living Seas. It is vital that we return our sea to health, not only for the sake of the UK’s fantastic marine life, but also for the future of our own quality of life. In the last parliamentary session, I was proud to play my part in ensuring the successful passage of the Marine and Coastal Access Act through Parliament, which fired the starting pistol for politicians to make Living Seas happen. As keen angler I want to see healthy and sustainable fishstocks supported by marine conservation areas to allow for successful spawning and recruitment.”
Mr Salter added:-
“Whilst at the event, I met representatives Wildlife Trusts in the South East including Jolyon Chesworth and Amy Dale, and pledged to support The Wildlife Trusts in this important work by signing Early Day Motion 640, which puts pressure on the Government to implement the Marine and Coastal Access Act in a comprehensively, promptly and effectively and urging the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn to honour his commitment to a comprehensive, prompt and effective delivery of the Marine and Coastal Access Act. This is a once in a generation opportunity to begin to undo some of the damage that commercial exploitation has wreaked on marine habitats around our shores.”
Professor Aubrey Manning OBE, President of The Wildlife Trusts, said:-
“We very much welcome the support we have had from parliamentarians for the Marine and Coastal Access Act. Now it is time to take this further. We need an effective and well-managed network of Marine Protected Areas by 2012 which will help us, The Wildlife Trusts, and our partners and supporters, to achieve Living Seas, and within a generation.”
Note:
There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the whole of the UK. They work for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone. With nearly 800,000 members, they are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to conserving the full range of the UK’s habitats and species, whether they be in the countryside, in cities or at sea. They manage 2,200 nature reserves covering more than 84,000 hectares. For further information visit www.wildlifetrusts.org.
Early Day Motion 640 says:
That this House congratulates The Wildlife Trusts on the launch of their Living Seas vision, which sets out their aspirations for the future of UK seas and The Wildlife Trusts’ role in restoring the marine environment to good health; recognises the vital contribution that healthy seas make to our quality of life, from providing seafood to absorbing carbon; recognises that the recently passed Marine and Coastal Access Act provides a new framework for managing and protecting UK seas; welcomes the recent designation of Lundy Island as the first Marine Conservation Zone created under the Act; and urges politicians of all parties to commit to the spirit of the legislation and its effective and timely implementation, including the designation of an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas by 2012.
