Welcome
As Chair of the Liberal Democrats’ Natural Environment Working Group, may I, on behalf of the Group, welcome you to our website.
The aim of this site is to enable you to get involved in the work of the Group and have your say on the policies needed to deal with the wide-ranging issues around the local, national and global natural environment. In particular, the group will be developing policies to move towards a one planet living economy, with special attention on the use of resources. Biodiversity, air pollution, sustainable land use, access to the countryside and the marine environment are also within our remit.
The working group has produced a short consultation paper which has been published on this site and which will form the basis of discussion at a consultative session at the Party’s autumn conference. This site gives you the opportunity to join in the discussion online. We want to hear your views in relation to the issues outlined in our remit and consultation paper; you can do this by posting your comments here. Alternatively, you can contribute to the debate by submitting an article or articles relating to any aspect of the remit. Articles should be sent to articles@consult.libdems.org.uk.
Taking into account comments and articles submitted via this site, discussion at our consultative session at conference, and evidence from individuals and organisations with knowledge and expertise in this area, the group will complete their review and produce a policy paper and motion to be debated at the Party’s conference in Autumn 2009.
Our period of formal external consultation closes on 31 December 2008 but we would be grateful for your comments and contributions as soon as possible prior to that date.
I look forward to reading your discussions and contributions over the next few weeks.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:47 am
The Fylde Constituency submitted a motion to Autumn Conference 2008 specifically focussed at Marine Conservation Zones.This was not accepted, one reason being that that the issue is being addressed in this Natural Environment Consultation Paper and we have no quarrel with that decision. As an input to this consultation we would offer the following comments.
There is no doubt that fisheries policy based on quotas has been a dismal failure. There are other issues that also affect the health of the oceans & thus the health of the planet,but fishing (& particularly bottom scraping fishing techniques) are a major factor ‘No Take’ zones are demonstrably successful in restoring oceanic biodiversity. We presented substantial evidence in support of these statements.
Whilst the idea of the Government’s Marine Bill is welcome
the proposed protected new areas in the Bill, to be known as “marine conservation zones”, will not automatically have complete protection. Instead, the government says that “varying levels of protection will be given to individual sites, from restricting certain activities, to ‘Highly Protected Marine Reserves’ where no damaging activities are allowed”. The final say on which areas are selected and how much protection they receive will rest with ministers. This permits far too much potential for further procrastination and ineffective outcomes. The interpretation of the word ‘damaging’ for example could lead to much argument & delay.
The present wording of the Government’s Bill gives far too much opportunity for the relevant minister to exercise personal judgment (whim?). In the document that you will submit to Conference in Spring 2009 we would like to see much stronger comment about urgency etc. than the present draft displays. There is no reason why some zones & the restrictions to be imposed therein cannot be fully defined right now.
Secretary, Fylde Constituency Liberal Democrats
——————————- END——————-