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    Sand, Sea and Sewage: Are English Bathing Waters Safe?

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    SAND, SEA & SEWAGE

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    Marinet report, titled Sand, Sea and Sewage with an Obituary Tribute to Pat Gowen (1932-2017).

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David Levy – The Focus of Marinet’s work and campaigning – Dec 22

Marinet has taken its eye off British Fisheries, Brexit opportunities and the relationship with European Fishing Fleets and their Governments.

That we have done so is because we have been juggling with limited resources and other issues which we felt took priority.   Our work on the Environment Bill 2021 and our amendment which was fronted by His Grace the Duke of Wellington in the House of Lords took all our time, along with refining research done on pollution in the River Wye and its tributary river system and then filing a complaint on this matter with the new Office for Environmental Pollution.   That complaint relates to the neglect and failure of legal duty by DEFRA, the Environment Agency and Natural England.

Our work done primarily by Brian Morgan and Stephen Eades has led to our publication Why are we killing the River Wye, and when will it stop? and could develop into a conference on the solution which we have proposed for dealing with poultry waste, rather than just relying on spreading the waste onto land.   Spreading of the poultry manure onto fields in the river catchment is the recommendation made to farmers by DEFRA.

There is a valuable resource being lost here, and we have identified those who need to be brought together to maximise profits for all concerned.

Coming back to British Fisheries, I am appalled that MPs in small fishing communities have failed to identify with others that they form a rather large block of political power that could impact on Parliament and Europe if they mobilise.   It hasn’t happened and that is disgraceful, but it is also indicative of the malaise that surrounds the fishing industry.

Ever since the publication of the End of the Line by Charles Clover and all the consultations surrounding the Common Fisheries Policy it has been business as usual.   The position has remained stagnant.   Little has changed whatever the spin placed on it by Government.

It is time that once again Marinet picks up the cudgels and takes issue with a farcical situation if only to encourage a new and multi-party grouping of MPs to give Brexit a real chance of achieving change.

David Levy