24 July 2008

Marine Aggregates Industry Teams up with Environmental Groups to Launch Joint Marine Bill Statement

The British Marine Aggregate Producers' Association (BMAPA) has this week become a signatory for a joint statement on the Marine Bill that highlights areas of common agreement on the draft Bill with fellow seabed users. The joint statement between the Seabed User and Developer Group (SUDG), to which BMAPA belongs, and the Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link), shows how the marine sector and environmental interest groups can work together to ensure the sustainable development of the marine environment.

BMAPA has been at the forefront of the consultation process on the draft Marine Bill since its launch on 3 April. Director of BMAPA, Mark Russell, commented on the Bill: "From the marine aggregate sector's perspective, the Marine Bill represents an unprecedented opportunity to deliver a more consistent and robust policy and planning environment across UK seas, against which industry operators should be able to take more confident business decisions."

And welcoming the joint statement, he went on to say: "The fact that UK marine development interests have been able to develop a common position with the environmental NGO's on the Bill demonstrates how far both sides have come in working together, and shows the degree of common ground that exists between both interest groups in securing the sustainable use of UK seas. While the Bill sets out some very positive high level principles, inevitably the devil will be in successfully delivering the detail over the next few years."

BMAPA's positive welcome for the joint statement was echoed by Lisa Chilton of The Wildlife Trusts, an environmental signatory: "We are delighted that we can stand together with the SUDG in support of Marine Conservation Zones, marine planning and other key elements of the Bill that are essential for sustainable management of UK seas."

The joint statement on the draft Marine Bill was similarly welcomed by Jonathon Shaw, Marine and Fisheries Minister, as a highly beneficial collaboration for the future of the seas: "This joint statement between industry and environmentalists is a great example of how we can all work together to get the Marine Bill right and ensure clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas for future generations."

The joint statement coincided with SUDG launching a brochure entitled 'Sustainable Development and the Sea' that sets out an industry perspective on the Marine Bill. Commenting on the brochure, Chairman of SUDG Peter Barham added 'This brochure highlights how a Marine Bill that provides better regulation and marine management that benefits both business and the environment will help ensure the sustainable development of our seas. We are both proud and pleased to have set out our aims and objectives in this brochure.'

ENDS

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