THE former Environment Minister is “disappointed” by his successor’s admission that Jersey may not meet its target of protecting 30% of its marine environment by 2030.
Deputy Jonathan Renouf’s comments come after Environment Minister Steve Luce told a Scrutiny panel that Jersey might not meet an international obligation signed up to under Deputy Renouf’s watch.
Deputy Luce said that instead his focus was on ensuring that protections implemented were “meaningful and backed by data”.
Responding, Deputy Renouf said: “It was disappointing to hear the minister distancing himself from the ‘30×30’ commitment.
“This is a treaty obligation to which Jersey is committed through the 2022 Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.”
While Deputy Luce admitted the 30×30 target might not be reached in the next six years, he pointed to the significant increase in the area protected from 6% to 23% under the draft Marine Spatial Plan.
The plan, which was recently published by the government in revised form, is due to be debated in the States Assembly next month.
The new draft put forward by Deputy Luce reduced the size of the protection zone from 27% to 23% following consultation with the fishing industry.
Deputy Luce told the Scrutiny panel: “We need to be really sure that if we’re designating a particular area as a marine protected area, there’s something to protect.”
However, Deputy Renouf criticised the rationale for the reduction which he described as “weak and confused”.
He stressed that the original boundaries were based on “thorough” research.
Deputy Renouf said: “There was no evidence gap identified in the [first] draft Marine Spatial Plan.
“If the problem is a lack of evidence, with ‘more research’ required, what gap has he identified that the new research is intended to fill?”
The former minister suggested that the call for more research might be “a fig leaf” which he said was “designed to make the sacrifice of some of the most sensitive marine environments appear more respectable”.
Deputy Luce argued that the revised plan seeks a balance between marine conservation and the needs of the fishing industry.
“I’m not here to put fishermen out of business. We’ve made concessions to ensure their livelihoods are less impacted on day one,” he said.
The current Environment Minister called for a gradual approach, proposing financial assistance for the industry and “grandfathering” certain areas to allow fishermen time to adapt.
He emphasised that the Marine Spatial Plan was a “live document” that would evolve as new research became available.
Deputy Renouf, however, warned against short-term thinking, arguing that marine protected areas benefit the medium- and long-term economic outlook for fishing.
He called for “a sustainable, long-term vision for the future of fishing in Jersey” that protects sensitive habitats while supporting the industry’s transition away from destructive practices.
