David Levy – Here is Education for You – Apr 16
A recent correspondence with a senior member of the Marine Management Organisation revealed that he did not expect to be consulted about impacts on a Marine Conservation Zone (MCZMCZ Marine Conservation Zone) when another government agency was involved.
The MMO is tasked with overseeing the management and enforcement of features within a MCZ, but revealed in a letter to Marinet that they absolve themselves of this responsibility when another agency is involved.
The MMO expects that agency to take over the responsibility; and of course they do not.
I was under the impression that in the case of multiple agencies, each would be consulted; but the costs involved in doing a sound science job means it is not done.
The costs are not passed on to the licence applicant, and once again the environment’s safety is compromised because the testing is not done on the MCZ’s protected features.
In reality the cracks in management enforcement are legion, whilst business licence applicants decry their lot saying they are unfairly treated and regulated. To them I would say:
“Which aspect of the assessment and regulation your application is unfair, when already recorded levels of pollution in the protected features within the MCZ require protection from your activities?”
To be specific: environmentally sensitive oysters of the Blackwater Estuary, Essex, are at risk from non-management of the MCZ, abandoned by the MMO.
David Levy
