Marine Life Protection
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| International conventions |
| Bern Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural
habitats The Council of Europe 'Convention on the conservation
of European wildlife and natural habitats' (the 'Bern Convention')
aims to "conserve wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats",
to promote co-operation between countries and their conservation efforts,
and to give "particular emphasis to endangered and vulnerable
species, including endangered and vulnerable migratory species".
In order to achieve its objectives, the Convention provides for the
conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitats in general and for
special protection of species listed in Appendix I (strictly protected
plants), Appendix II (strictly protected animals) and Appendix III
(protected animals) of the Convention. The requirements of the Bern
Convention are mandatory on its contracting parties. Britain is a
party to this convention and ratified its provisions in May 1982.
Further information see: http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Environment/Nature_and_biological_diversity/Nature_protection/ |
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| CITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora The Convention was initiated at an IUCN
General Assembly in 1963 and concluded at Washington in 1973. It came
into force in 1975 and has been ratified by well over 100 countries
throughout the world, including the UK in 1976. The objectives of
CITES are to protect endangered plant and animal species from illegal
trade and over-exploitation by means of a system of import and export
permits for the regulation of trade. Commercial trade in endangered
species listed in Appendix I is forbidden. Controlled trade is allowed
for species which, although not currently threatened with extinction,
may become so unless restrictions are applied, listed in Appendix
II. Where a Party to the Convention protects one of its native species
from over-exploitation and seeks the assistance of other Parties in
implementing these controls, it can list such species in Appendix
III.
Further information
see: http://www.cites.org/ |
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| The OSPAR Convention The OSPAR Convention for
the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic
came into force in 1998. The OSPAR Convention merged the 1974 Oslo
convention (Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping
from Ships and Aircraft) and the 1978 Paris Convention (Convention
for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources). The
OSPAR Convention includes the following Annexes:
- Annex I: Prevention and elimination of pollution from land-based
sources;
- Annex II: Prevention and elimination of pollution by dumping or
incineration;
- Annex III: Prevention and elimination of pollution from offshore
sources;
- Annex IV: Assessment of the quality of the marine environment;
and
- Annex V: Protection and conservation of the ecosystems and biological
diversity of the maritime area.
Under Annex V of the convention, OSPAR developed a Strategy on the
Protection and Conservation of the Ecosystems and Biological Diversity
of the Maritime Area, which states that that the OSPAR Commission
will assess which species and habitats need to be protected. OSPAR
has therefore developed a set of criteria for the selection of such
species, habitats and ecological processes, the Texel/Faial Criteria.
An initial list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats
was developed and ratified in 23 June 2003.
For further information visit the OSPAR Web site: http://www.ospar.org |
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| IUCN Red Data Lists The IUCN Red Lists of Threatened Species
are a compilation of plant or animal species categorized as Critically
Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable according
to the IUCN Categories of Threat.
For more information see "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species".
Available from: http://www.redlist.org/ |
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| European Directives and Regulations |
| EC Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild
Fauna and Flora (The 'Habitats Directive') Council Directive
92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna
and flora came into force on 21 May 1992. The central aim of the Directive
is to conserve biodiversity across the area of the European Union
through a coherent network of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
Seven marine habitat types are listed in the Directive and nine of
the species listed are marine or spend part of their life in the sea
and have breeding populations in the United Kingdom. SACs together
with 'Special Protection Areas' (SPAs) identified under the Birds
Directive will create a network of sites described as 'Natura 2000'.
Further information see: http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/nature_conservation/eu_nature_legislation/habitats_directive/index_en.htm |
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| United Kingdom Legislation and initiatives |
| Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended in 1985) This
Act provides the cornerstone to nature conservation in Great Britain.
Major provisions relating to marine conservation are noted below.
Section 1 provides for the protection of wild birds.
Section 3 allows for the establishment of Areas of Special Protection
for birds.
Section 9 allows for the protection of specifically listed wild animals,
including marine species (listed in Schedule 5 of the Act).
Section 13 allows for the protection of wild plants, including marine
species (listed in Schedule 8 of the Act).
Section 14 allows for the prevention of the introduction of alien
species (listed in Schedule 9 of the Act).
Sections 36 and 37 allow for the establishment of marine nature reserves.
Schedules 5, 8 and 9 are reviewed every five years and revised.
The Act was recently amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way
Act 2000. For further information see:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/cl/index.htm
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| Northern Ireland Legislation and Policy Documents Nature
Conservation and Amenity Lands (NI) Order 1985 (as amended 1989)
Wildlife (NI) Order 1985
Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc) Regulations (NI) 1995
Costal Zone Management in Northern Ireland (1996)
Planning Policy Statement 2 - Planning and Nature Conservation (1997)
Further information see:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/paw/publications/law/1_1.htm |
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| UK Biodiversity Action Plan The Convention on Biological
Diversity was signed in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in connection
with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED). The objectives of the Convention are the conservation of
biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the
fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization
of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources
and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into
account all rights over these resources and to technologies, by appropriate
funding. Each contracting party shall develop national strategies,
plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological
diversity.
A UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) was published in 1995 (UK Biodiversity
Steering Group, 1995), which identified a list of Species of Conservation
Concern, from which priority species were identified together with
priority habitats within the UK. Species Action Plans, Species Statements,
or Habitat Action Plans were prepared for priority species and habitats,
and published in 1999 (see UK Biodiversity Group, 1999).
A revised list of priority species and habitats was approved in June
2007. The 2007 UK BAP Priority Species and Habitats list contains
1149 species and 65 habitats, and is available from the UK BAP website
http://www.ukbap.org.uk
Further information see:
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| Citation
MarLIN, 2005. Marine life protection. Marine Life Information
Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme
[on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom.
Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk>
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