Janet Finch-Saunders Shadow Minister for Climate Change is today keeping up her calls for the Welsh Government to introduce affective marine planning strategies that address climate and ecological threats around the coast of Wales.
During her plenary contribution today, the Senedd Member for Aberconwy said;
“As I made clear to the Senedd in March the lack of true spatial planning to guide the sustainable use of our seas hinders Good Environmental Status of marine waters and threatens to have impacts such as:
- wildlife collision
- man-made noise
- habitat loss
- and loss of access to preferred foraging areas”
Further to this, Janet went on to add;
“I want to see the Welsh Government use its legislative ability to create a legal duty to form a National Marine Development Plan and to keep it under regular review.”
Janet has made clear that before focussing on any form of marine energy, there needs to be an urgent consideration for the framework we have in place to support infrastructure developments and the environment. This is supported by Wales Environment Link, who informed the Climate Change Committee that ‘Sectoral Locational guidance as currently proposed by the Welsh Government is not enough.’
Janet will maintain her work on improving current legislation on climate change policy here in Wales and will regularly remind the government of the obligation they have to marine conservationism as much as policy that addresses climate change on land.
