PRESS RELEASE

15 June 2006

Cheshire Wildlife Trust appeal for marine help

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is encouraging people across the region to take part in a vital consultation process to ensure better protection for marine life. The current consultation on new laws to protect marine life and improve the management of the nation’s seas ends on 23rd June, so now is the critical time to have your say. The result of the consultation will be a Marine Bill, which is likely to be published early in 2007.

Angie Gooderham, Acting Head of Conservation for Cheshire Wildlife Trust, comments, “Cheshire Wildlife Trust protects some of the northwest’s most fragile coastal ecosystems. The Dee and Mersey estuaries are of worldwide importance in the provision of habitats for wading birds, whilst Hilbre Island, on the Wirral Peninsular, is home to over 500 Grey Seals and a great variety of rock-pool dwelling species such as starfish and crabs. All these species have come under increasing pressure from fishing, sand and gravel dredging, oil and gas extraction, wind-farm construction and other uses. There is almost nowhere in our seas that has not been damaged in some way.”

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is calling for the Marine Bill to introduce a range of new conservation measures, including the designation of some coastal areas as ‘Highly Protected Marine Reserves’, providing areas of the sea in which damaging activities such as fishing and dredging would be permanently prohibited helping the conservation of threatened marine wildlife.

Angie adds, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure new laws to protect our seas. We urgently need the people of Cheshire to help to convince the Government to ‘do the right thing’ for our precious marine life. Every letter and email will count, so please take the time to express your views. To make it easy for you, a draft letter, supporters’ guide and instructions can be found on our website www.wildlifetrusts.org

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