MAREA Terms of Reference

The Marine and Fisheries Agency advises that it is not a member of the Regulator Advisory Group for REAs involving Marine Minerals.

From: Stephen Eades [mailto:stephen.marinet@btinternet.com]
Sent: 17 July 2009 21:53
To: Mellor, Rachel (MFA); Pat Gowen
Cc: Bill Rigby - MARINET; Mike King - Scratby; Peter Lanyon
Subject: Re: Proposed Marine Aggregate Extraction from Area 430.

Dear Rachel,

Thank you for a copy of your response to MARINET's comments on Area 430. I will leave correspondence to Pat Gowen on this specific licence application.

However, we are concerned about the East Anglian Marine Aggregate REA and the issue of whether the Scoping Report has properly defined all the issues, see my letter to the MFA dated 14th February 2009 (copy attached).

We have received no response from the MFA to this letter.

I would be most grateful if you (the MFA) would respond to this letter and, in particular, advise us whether the East Anglian Marine Aggregate REA is being superintended by the MFA. If the MFA is not undertaking this role of superintendence, could you please advise which Government Department or Agency is.

Sincere regards,
Stephen Eades.
On behalf of MARINET.

----- Original Message -----
From: Mellor, Rachel (MFA)
To: Stephen Eades
Cc: Bill Rigby - MARINET ; Mike King - Scratby ; Peter Lanyon ; Pat Gowen
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2009 1:29 PM
Subject: FW: Proposed Marine Aggregate Extraction from Area 430.

Dear Stephen,

Thank you for your email. Apologies that you have not received a response, your letter dated 14 February was not passed on to our team.

As detailed in the Scoping pack for the AODA MAREA, their purpose is to assess cumulative impacts of marine aggregate dredging at a regional level and in order to inform site specific EIA's for application areas, where possible. The MAREAs are non-statutory and are voluntarily undertaken by industry and as such there is no over-arching government department supervising the proceedings. However, a working group of advisors has been established to help steer the MAREA process, the Regulatory Advisors Group. Included in this group are Cefas, who provide scientific advice to MFA on all aggregate dredging applications and monitoring reports, Natural England and JNCC who also provide advice on nature conservation issues to MFA. English Heritage are also included, who advise MFA on maritime archaeology. This group has also produced guidance on the framework for all REAs which can be viewed on the CEFAS website as a pdf file.

As the regulator for marine aggregate dredging, whilst we can steer the MAREAs in the right direction to ensure that the major issues are covered at a regional level, it would be inappropriate for us to comment specifically on the proceedings, until we receive an application for a particular area which has been submitted under the relevant regulations and necessary fees applied.

I hope this answers your query.

Kind Regards
Rachel Mellor
Marine Environment Team
Marine & Fisheries Agency
020 7270 8669
Area 4D
Ergon House
Horseferry Road
London
SW1P 2AL

Text of the Terms of Reference for Regional Environmental assessments involving the extraction of Marine Minerals.

View as a PDF Document on the CEFAS website