The Challenge of Managing Marine Resources

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The Challenge of Managing Marine Resources

• Industry's role in managing marine resources

Peter Barham. Environmental Consultant.
peterjbarham_at_googlemail.com
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Associated British Ports
Troon
Ayr

• UKs largest ports company
• 21 operations
• Handles more than 25 of all UK seaborne trade
• Competent Harbour Authorities
• Safety of navigation paramount
• Environmental management integral to port
  management

Silloth
Barrow
Fleetwood
Immingham
Grimsby
Garston
Kings Lynn
Lowestoft
Ipswich
Swansea
Newport
Port Talbot
Barry
Cardiff
Southampton
Teignmouth
Plymouth
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Port Locations and Conservation Designations
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Ports and Sustainable Development

• Ports industry is environmentally responsible
• Ports industry is essential for global markets
• Ports industry needs to accommodate changes to
  shipping and growth in markets
• Ports industry is a key aspect in sustainable
  transport

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• objectives to deliver Sustainable Development-
• Achieving a sustainable marine economy
• Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society
• Living within environmental limits
• Promoting good governance and
• Using sound science responsibly

So working with nature is critical to SD
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The environment part of the problem or part of
the solution?
Or both?

• the nature of the location - do we know enough
  about it
• the nature of the problem - do we properly
  understand it or do we have a solution before we
  understand the problem
• the options are we open to the right option
  rather than just the one we want
• does the preferred option really acknowledge the
  environment

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Working with the environment - tried and tested

• from the outset 
• establish project need and objectives
• understand the environment
• make meaningful use of stakeholder engagement to
  identify possible win-win opportunities
• prepare initial project proposals/design to
  benefit navigation and nature
• discuss with key stakeholders environment and
  commercial
• iterate design as necessary

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Working with the environment increasingly

• focuses on achieving the project objectives in
  an ecosystem context rather than assessing the
  consequences of a predefined project design
• focuses on identifying win-win solutions rather
  than simply minimising ecological harm.
• But can this always be achieved?
• What do we need to do to make it achievable?

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Humber Estuary Designations
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ABP approach

• SCOPING
• preparation of EA based on a range of options
• identification of impacts
• on ecology
• on favourable conservation status
• decision on likely significant effect
• mitigation or compensation or both
• production of IROPI

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ABP approach (continued)

• Development of options
• Choice of preferred option
• Information on wider coastal management issues
• Agreement on compensation objectives
• Construction
• Monitoring

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Port Development Immingham
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Immingham Outer Harbour being dredged
Where is the win win?
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Compensation Objectives

• need to comply with Habitats Directive
• need to contribute to long term estuary
  management
• need to agree with regulators and NGOs

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Legal Agreement

• Created commitment to compensation
• Clarified compensation objective
• Allowed objectors to remove objections
• Avoided public inquiry
• Recognised long term dynamic nature of estuary
• Allows migration of mudflat to saltmarsh
• Resolved issue of like for like habitat
  requirements

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Chowder Ness Foreshore
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Chowder Ness
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Doigs Creek
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Welwick Foreshore
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Welwick first winter
But how much is this working with nature or
simply addressing environmental regulations?
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Environmental Issues - the need for change by
developers and regulatory bodies

• The need to contribute to sustainable development
• The need to clarify what the law requires
• The need to identify and deliver long term
  targets
• The need to find better ways of working

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Marine Objectives designed to..

• Steer administrations and wider public sector
  towards sustainable marine development
• Steer, inform and educate
• Underpin UK approach in developing European
  policy
• Underpin development of an integrated marine
  policy statement

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Current situation

• Little clarity about what we want to achieve in
  the marine area
• To achieve sustainable development we must have
  development, but
• Marine development is expensive
• Planning and getting consent for major
  developments takes a long time
• Uncertainty about which developments will be
  supported increases investor risk
• Current investment conditions are risk averse
• Economic objectives will not be achieved (with
  attendant loss of economic and social benefits)
• Sustainable development will not be achieved

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What Industry Wants

• Clear commitment to sustainable development
• including more environmental protection where
  its needed
• Clear support for economic development
• energy, renewable energy, marine aggregates,
  ports etc
• Clear objectives and policies that will
  facilitate delivery
• allowing environmental objectives to be built
  into sustainable developments
• Win-win solutions for business and the
  environment
• we have shown that development can also deliver
  environmental benefits

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Conclusions

• sustainable development
• to protect and improve the environment
• to comply with legislation
• to work together
• to identify shared objectives for long term
  management
• conservation needs
• regulatory needs