19 September 2013
Islanders have one week left to give their views on a range of proposals to protect Jersey’s seas.
Earlier this year the Economic Development and Environment departments launched a three-month consultation on the Marine Resources Strategy giving 45 recommendations on how the Island can protect its seas for the long term, while also supporting the needs of Jersey’s commercial and leisure users.
The consultation closes on Friday 27 September.
Among the proposals are ones to promote more productive, sustainable and better managed fishing and aquaculture industries so they continue to develop and provide employment. Proposals also cover:
- marine spatial planning - creating a more rational use of marine space
- managing shared resources fairly for the long term
- restricted fishing zones
- the economic development of the fishing industry
- support for new entrants to the fishing industry
- sustainable development of the aquaculture sector
- recreational fishing
- research and monitoring
- international affairs
The consultation is a first step towards a comprehensive plan to protect and care for Jersey’s marine environment and follows a recommendation by the Economic Affairs Scrutiny sub-panel report that Jersey’s marine and fisheries industry ‘warrants its own comprehensive strategy’.
Assistant Director Marine Resources Mike Smith said “The Marine Resources Strategy contains a number of important proposals about the way we manage the seas around Jersey in the future.
“The strategy that emerges as a result of this consultation will potentially have an impact on all of us who use the sea for work and pleasure and I’d urge anyone who has a view on how we manage our marine resources to drop us a line, or to complete an online survey so we can take their views into account before we publish firm proposals.”
You can access the survey in English, Polish and Portuguese on the States consultation portal.
gov.je