Department for the Environment, F
                                                                                                ood and Rural Affairs
                                                                                                –
                                                                                                Safeguarding Our Seas.
                                                                                                         A Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable
        £20                                                                                                     Development of our Marine Environment
          ISBN 0-85521-005-2
                                                                                                PB6187. May 2002.
        9 780855 210052
                Contents
                        Ministerial foreword                                            2
                        Executive summary                                               3
                        Chapter 1
                        Our vision and its delivery                                     5
                        Chapter 2
                        Protecting marine biodiversity                                  13
                        Chapter 3
                        Integrated coastal management                                   23
                        Chapter 4
                        Tackling pollution from land-based sources and dumping at sea   29
                        Chapter 5
                        The importance of shipping and ports                            37
                        Chapter 6
                        The contribution of offshore activities and renewable energy    45
                        Chapter 7
                        Sustainable fisheries                                           55
                        Chapter 8
                        Facing up to climate change                                     63
                        Chapter 9
                        Making best use of marine science                               69
                  A     Annex A
                        Summary of targets and timescales for delivering our vision     77
                  B     Annex B
                        Glossary of terms                                               79
                                                                                                   1
              Foreword
               By the Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP
               Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
                                  n the UK, we have made good progress in tackling the problems
                                  facing our oceans and seas. But we must do more nationally and
                                Iinternationally to tackle the threats that remain if we are to
                                safeguard our seas for future generations.  
                                These threats are very real. Many commercial fish stocks are
                                overexploited. Industrial waste continues to find its way into the
                                world’s oceans. Ecosystems can be destroyed by invasive non-
                                indigenous species. And the effects of climate change on marine
                                habitats and species are potentially enormous.
               There is an urgent need for a coherent and integrated approach to face up to these threats
               and conserve marine biodiversity. Safeguarding Our Seas provides this. It sets out our vision
               for our marine environment and details past achievements. But more importantly it contains
               new ideas and initiatives to show how we will work to turn our vision into reality.  
               It describes how our initiatives will enhance marine nature conservation and conserve
               biodiversity. They will also improve management of our marine resources and develop
               scientific research to help us make more informed policy decisions. Our initiatives will also
               streamline regulation for those who make their living from the sea whilst better protecting 
               the marine environment. And they will involve stakeholders in making the decisions that
               affect them.
               I am grateful to the devolved administrations and other stakeholders who helped to prepare
               this report. In particular, the Scottish Executive contributed fully to the drafting of the report
               and hosted one of our stakeholder workshops in Edinburgh.
               But this report is only the first step. Much remains to be done if we are to turn our vision into
               reality. We must not underestimate the challenge that lies ahead. Oceans and seas make up
               over 70 per cent of the surface of our ‘blue planet’. That gives some indication of the size of
               the task we face in safeguarding our seas. Delivering our vision requires commitment and
               perseverance from us all. We owe it to future generations to succeed.
                                                                  Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP
      2