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Protecting a precious resource
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It is also unsurprising that the sea remains important in this modern age as a medium for transport, a source of high-value food and a leisure resource. It is also precious in environmental terms, being the home of many more species of animals and plants than are found on our 45 square miles of dry land.
But despite its importance, our marine environment has in some respects been the poor relation of our terrestrial assets. A degree of environmental protection is afforded by fishery regulation and agreements such as the Ramsar Convention, which safeguards foreshore wetlands, yet a comprehensive strategy for securing the future of the waters that surround us does not exist.
That said, the Marine Resources consultation document issued earlier this month by the Environment and Economic Development departments represents a step in the right direction. It offers 45 policy suggestions in nine categories – ranging from fisheries to treaties to which the Island might become party – and invites all interested individuals and groups to comment on what is proposed.
However, although the consultation exercise will be widely welcomed by many, it is certain that some users of the marine environment have already reached the conclusion that bureaucracy is exhibiting an unhealthy interest in traditional activities which, as matters stand, are largely unregulated.
For example, the prospect of more stringent control of pursuits such as shore netting and lining and the proposal that amateur anglers could see bag limits introduced for some species will lead to objections.
But, like it or not, it is quite clear that our marine resources – a description which includes everything from fish and shellfish to the seabed itself – deserve at least as much protection as sites on land. It is also evident that suitable protection of the waters over which we exercise control is more vital than ever as the Island’s population increases, more effort is applied to harvest the sea and perhaps use it to generate power, and as volumes of commercial and leisure traffic rise.
Few believe that more attention from the authorities is automatically a good thing in any sphere, but if the alternative is the despoliation of irreplaceable habitats and stocks, authority has its part to play in ensuring that sea around us remains healthy and productive.
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