Environmental Protection: Marine

Defra plays an important role in co-ordinating marine environment policy. We are responsible for a £1.5 million research programme which covers work on rivers, estuaries and aspects of the marine environment not covered elsewhere. We coordinate work for the North Sea Conference and the OSPAR Commission. We contribute information to other organisations covering issues such as pollution from various industrial sectors, and the environmental effects of offshore oil and gas.

You can find out more information about the main threats to seas around the UK, and the chief efforts being made to protect the marine environment, from:

• the Marine Stewardship Report and from
• Seas of Change: the Government's consultation paper to help deliver our vision for the marine environment (closing date - 28 February 2003)

Further information on marine issues is also available on the next page, including information on control of marine work and disposal of waste at sea

Other information is set out via the links below.

News

8 October 2003 - Review of marine fisheries and environmental enforcement arrangements in England and Wales. See also: Minister Ben Bradshaw's announcement of the review made on 24 September, and news release

13 November 2002: Morley pledges not to give up on basking shark - news release

7 November 2002: Elliot Morley responds to report on the state of the marine environment - news item

7 November 2002: Public support pledged for Government plans to protect Basking Sharks - news release

See the bathing water pages for information on bathing water results and the proposed revisions to the Bathing Water Directive

The OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic

1. Introduction to OSPAR
2. Ministerial Meeting of the OSPAR Commission, Sintra, Portugal, 22-23 July 1998
3. Quality Status Reports
4. The OSPAR List of Substances of Possible Concern

Marine and Land Based Inputs to the Sea (MLIS) Research Programme

1. Executive Summaries
2. Guidance Note on the Presentation of Research Reports

The Second London Oceans Workshop

1. Flyer
2. Workshop Co-Chairmen's Report

Quality Status Report of the Marine and Coastal Areas of the Irish Sea and Bristol Channel 2000

Flood Management, Coastal Defence:

Information is available through the specific section on Flood and Coastal Defence.

Other material

Further information is available on the next page, including information on materials deposited at sea. See also:

Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture: the Government's Strategic Review - this activity will potentially impact on inputs to coastal and marine waters.

Offshore Natura 2000 Report - a copy of this report, published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) on 7 May 2002, is available on the JNCC web site.

Cleaner Seas - information prepared in 1998, in large part now superseded by the Marine Stewardship Report

International Year of the Ocean 1998 - Background and Michael Meacher's opening address to the IACMST National Open Forum, 17th September 1998

Marine Pollution Monitoring Management Group (MPMMG)

1. National Marine Monitoring Programme - Proceedings of the In situ Monitoring Technologies Seminar - Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory - 24-25 November 1999
2. National Marine Monitoring Programme: Newsletter No.1

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

1. United Kingdom Action Plan for the Phasing out and Destruction of PCBs
2. The Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances)(England and Wales) Regulations 2000

Identification of Marine Environmental High Risk Areas (MEHRA's) in the UK: Consultation Paper

Useful links

Information on Defra's work on fisheries is available in the relevant section of the web site.

The Marine Consents & Environment Unit (MCEU) - a joint Defra/DfT/NAW Unit which acts as the regulating authority for control of marine construction works - has its own web site at www.mceu.gov.uk.

Material on the 5th North Sea Conference, held in Bergen, Norway on 20-21 March 2002 is available at http://odin.dep.no/md/nsc/

Contacting Defra

If you want further information that is not covered by these pages, you can contact us by e-mail: marine.environment@defra.gsi.gov.uk