Stephen Williams' views on the Marine Bill

My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I are very supportive of the introduction of this Bill, which will create a long overdue spatial planning system for our territorial waters. Without any sort of framework in which to resolve conflicting issues of coastal zone management, there has been increasing evidence of environmental degradation.

However, the draft proposals put forward by the government leave some unanswered questions. As drafted, it is not clear which agencies (Environment Agency, Natural England and the proposed Marine Management Agency) are responsible for which areas of work. Currently English Nature, shortly to become Natural England, is the lead agency for marine conservation, although the Environment Agency is responsible for water quality and migratory fish, sea defences and flood management. There are also Sea Fisheries Committees which reflect the interests of coastal fisheries and those concerned with conservation, and coastal local authorities which represent the coastal dwellers. This is the one area of the Bill that causes us the most concern.

The Bill must clarify which agencies are responsible for which areas, especially for where land meets the sea as the position of local authorities is, at present, very unclear. For the Bill to work in the coastal zone, which is the area where the most conflicts arise, the variety of groups with interests must feel that their voice is represented through the democratic process. The marine area cannot simply be "managed" by an agency.

The designation of more Marine Nature Reserves for the protection of particular geographic areas, such as spawning grounds and coral reefs, are essential. Marine Nature Reserves may well need to be seasonal as well as geographic, in order to protect a particular species. However to make this practical the Bill must ensure that enforcement is properly resourced and implemented, and that damaging practices are stopped. This could potentially require propeller guards on all craft to protect both marine and human life.

The coast is of particular local interest as we consider the future of the Severn Estuary. I attended a recent Conference on the estuary and took part in discussions while sailing on the 'Waverly' from Clevedon to Penarth and back. The most controversial issue is probably the harnessing of the tidal power of the estuary to generate electricity. I believe that it would be foolish not to take advantage of one of the best locations in the world for a renewable source of energy. However, there is a valuable debate to be had over the method of harnessing the power so that the ecological impact is minimized.