Move To Ban Scallop Dredging in Falmouth Bay

12 years ago the Fal and Helford River in Cornwall was designated an EU protected reserve or Special Area of Conservation (SAC). At this time a voluntary agreement amoung fishermen to aviod dredging for scallops was established. The agreement failed, and now the government is being accused of allowing the destuction of important biological features within the SAC. As a result proposals have been put forward to close the SAC and re-establish the area as an Experimental Marine Protected Area (MPA). This will mean a complete ban of beam trawing, trawling and scallop dredging from November 2008, however, fishing with a hook and line will still be permitted. The intention of this move is to better manage scallop stocks within the SAC and to investigate whether there may be benefits to scallop populations and fishing outside the SAC.

This a fantastic move forward for UK environmental policies, and will be interesting to see how this effects the biodiversity of the SAC and indeed marine resourses which depend on it. The area is well renound for its excellent diving, and mabye this move will put Falmouth on the world wide diving map, and hopefully provide the local economy the boost it needs.

Proposal for the Closure of Fal and Helford SAC to Scallop Dredging

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS

There are a number of international environmental agreements established to protect the environment in different ways. Many of these are legally binding.

International environmental agreements include:

• Alpine Convention together with its nine protocols
• ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
• Antarctic Treaty
  • Agreed Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora^[1]
• Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate
  • Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals^[2]
  • Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources^[3]
  • Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
• Barcelona Convention
• Basel Convention
• Carpathian Convention Framework Convention on the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians^[4]
• Climate Change Agreement
• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas
• Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
  • EMEP Protocol
  • Nitrogen Oxide Protocol
  • Volatile Organic Compounds Protocol
  • Sulphur Emissions Reduction Protocols 1985 and 1994
  • Heavy Metals Protocol
  • POP Air Pollution Protocol
  • Multi-effect Protocol (Gothenburg protocol) ^[5]
• Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats
• Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
• Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna
• Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter
• Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques
• Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat
• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
• International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
• International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983 (expired)
• International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994
• Kyoto Protocol - greenhouse gas emission reductions
• Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
• North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation
• Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants.
• Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water
• Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty 1996
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• Western Regional Climate Action Initiative