Reading West MP Martin Salter last week added his name in support of the Living Seas campaign which aims to regenerate wildlife habitat around the coast of Britain. Mr Salter attended the event hosted by the Wildlife Trust last week to highlight the launch of their document, entitled Living Seas.
Mr Salter, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling, has also given his support to Commons Early Day Motion no. 640 urging Parliament to press ahead with “the designation of an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas over the next two years.”
Martin Salter, who served on the recent Marine Bill Committee, said:-
“I am delighted to support The Wildlife Trusts’ vision of Living Seas. It is vital that we return our sea to health, not only for the sake of the UK’s fantastic marine life, but also for the future of our own quality of life. In the last parliamentary session, I was proud to play my part in ensuring the successful passage of the Marine and Coastal Access Act through Parliament, which fired the starting pistol for politicians to make Living Seas happen. As keen angler I want to see healthy and sustainable fishstocks supported by marine conservation areas to allow for successful spawning and recruitment.”
Mr Salter added:-“Whilst at the event, I met representatives Wildlife Trusts in the South East including Jolyon Chesworth and Amy Dale, and pledged to support The Wildlife Trusts in this important work by signing Early Day Motion 640, which puts pressure on the Government to implement the Marine and Coastal Access Act in a comprehensively, promptly and effectively and urging the Environment Secretary Hilary Benn to honour his commitment to a comprehensive, prompt and effective delivery of the Marine and Coastal Access Act. This is a once in a generation opportunity to begin to undo some of the damage that commercial exploitation has wreaked on marine habitats around our shores.”
Professor Aubrey Manning OBE, President of The Wildlife Trusts, said:-
“We very much welcome the support we have had from parliamentarians for the Marine and Coastal Access Act. Now it is time to take this further. We need an effective and well-managed network of Marine Protected Areas by 2012 which will help us, The Wildlife Trusts, and our partners and supporters, to achieve Living Seas, and within a generation.”
