Conservation at sea needs care, says MP (From York Press)

Conservation at sea needs care, says MP

8:01am Friday 16th December 2011 in Eco info

AN EAST Yorkshire MP has warned that creating marine conservation areas has to be done carefully and thoroughly if it is to achieve its aim of conserving fish.

Greg Knight was speaking after Labour’s York Central MP Hugh Bayley accused the Government of taking too long over deciding which parts of the sea would get protection as Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) and urged it to speed up.

Mr Knight, Conservative MP for East Yorkshire, said: “This is a complex issue. It is not the same as a company opening up a series of shops on the same day, as Mr Bayley appears to think.”

He said initial consultations revealed the need for more scientific investigation by the Government.

“This is not feet-dragging. It is for the benefit of the environment, and there is expert advice suggesting that to rush in and designate MCZs without proper evaluation could cause untold problems later on.”