Report warns UK marine bill lacks funding and power

Funding for measures included in a draft bill to improve the management and conservation of the UK's seas appears to be "inadequate", and the proposed legislation may not be strong enough to force change through, a joint committee report warned today.

The committee set up to scrutinise the draft marine bill, which was published in April, said it was concerned at "how few obligations" the proposed legislation imposes on the government and said there was a "general lack of clarity" regarding enforcement of the new laws that the bill would bring in.

Earlier this year, ministers laid out plans in the draft bill for a network of marine reserves, a new UK-wide planning system to help manage Britain's seas and measures to allow people the freedom to walk all round the English coast for the first time.

A new Marine Management Organisation (MMO) would also be created to regulate development and activity at sea and enforce environmental protection laws, Defra said at the time.

The report warned the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that it must ensure sufficient funding for measures including the MMO, inshore fisheries conservation and the development of the coastal path for them to be established successfully.

While the committee's report said the plans for a continuous coastal route around England were "laudable", it repeated calls made by Defra's select committee last week for an independent appeals process for landowners unhappy with the plans.

Lord Greenway, the committee's chairman, said: "We have welcomed the bill but expressed our concern at how few obligations the bill actually imposes on the government. We would like Defra to make sure the published bill commits the secretary of state and other appropriate action, rather than just enabling change."

The committee said it was essential that the bill imposed a duty on the secretary of state to create a network of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), and that provisions for the protected areas should be strengthened in the bill.

The development of MCZs as a network – not as isolated areas – should be explicit in the bill and should be underpinned primarily by science, the report said. The bill should include a timetable for their implementation, and the zones should cover a range of levels of protection from allowing multiple uses to highly protected reserves.

The report warned that the government had not given enough thought to how it would achieve consensus between devolved administrations over managing the UK's seas, and how the bill would fit with EU commitments.

And with parts of the marine environment managed by a range of government departments including the departments for business, transport, culture, communities and local government and the Ministry of Defence it was "vital" Defra got other departments on board with its plans, the report said.

It also recommended government should negotiate the removal of the historic fishing rights other EU countries have for UK waters to ensure that conservation measures, such as restrictions on fishing, can be properly enforced.

A Defra spokesman said: "We welcome the committee's comments, and will consider them carefully while reviewing the draft bill. The government is committed to a marine bill that will mean better regulation, planning and management of our seas and raise protection for marine life to a new level."

Dr Sharon Thompson, senior marine policy officer at the RSPB, said: "We support this call for specific requirements to be put on the government, in particular the recommendation that the Secretary of State be required to designate a network of Marine Conservation Zones."

She added that the RSPB was campaigning in the four UK administrations to ensure that all marine legislation being brought forward contained measures to protect seabirds and created a strong and effective approach throughout UK waters.

Natasha Barker, senior marine policy officer at WWF-UK said: "WWF supports the committee's recommendation that the MMO should be responsible for leading the delivery of sustainable development in UK seas, but to do this effectively it needs to have responsibility for the licensing of major infrastructure projects in the marine environment."

"The marine bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation for the UK, and could provide much needed protection for nationally important species and habitats. It is imperative that the government addresses the concerns highlighted by the joint committee as a matter of urgency to ensure our seas gain the protection they so urgently require."The next few months will be a critical time for ensuring the delivery of robust and integrated marine legislation for the whole of the UK. WWF looks forward to working with the government and devolved administrations to ensure the marine bill is not delayed and is fit for purpose."

Philip MacMullen, head of environmental responsibility at Seafish, the authority for the seafood industry, said: "Whilst we welcome the outline policies of the marine bill, we share the concerns of the joint committee that these proposals represent a risky step into the unknown unless the government is prepared to improve the process of consultation between stakeholders.

"Furthermore, we believe that much greater clarity is required regarding the roles of various government agencies in the legislative process."

Currently just 2% of the UK's seas are protected, with less than 0.002% afforded full protection. Legislation to protect Britain's coastline has been a long drawn-out affair, with two previous consultations on the marine bill. Proposals for a marine bill were first put forward in Labour's 2005 manifesto after lobbying from conservation groups. It announced a draft marine bill in the 2005 Queen's speech, but nothing came of it and a full bill and act did not follow.

In March 2006, the government published the first consultation document on its proposals for the scope and content of the bill, and invited feedback.

In March 2007 it published a white paper, A Sea Change, which proposed eight offshore "national parks" within three years and as many as 80 highly protected sea areas. Consultation on the white paper was completed in June.

Figures released last October by Defra showed that 82% of the responses to the consultation supported plans for a bill. Jonathan Shaw, the minister for marine, landscape and rural affairs, promised last summer that the bill would be published "in draft" early this year.

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