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Hi Paul Can you post this? Mark For Immediate Release 10 November, 1999 BoardUs Decision to Halt Bidding Process Right One The Ecology Action Centre is encouraged by the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum BoardUs decision not to proceed with the next call for bids in December 1999. The Board made this announcement when it released the results of the Call for Bids issued in June, 1999. RWhat should happen now, says Mark Butler, Marine Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre, is that the bidding process should be halted until sensitive areas are identified and excluded from the bidding process. And, we are not talking about simply moving an oil rig 500 metres or delaying seismic activity by a month, we are talking about closing areas to oil and gas.S According to the Ecology Action Centre, Government agencies, university scientists, the fishing industry, the tourism industry, the petroleum industry, environmental groups and the Petroleum Board should all be involved in this effort. Butler says, RUnder the Oceans Act, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is currently developing a proposed system of marine protected areas, but this process is being rendered somewhat meaningless by the speed at which the Petroleum Board is handing out petroleum licences. A recent British court ruling on a case brought forward by Greenpeace confirms EACUs position. The British court ruled that before new oil or gas licences could be given out in the North East Atlantic the British Government should identify sensitive areas and exclude them from any future bidding process. Bidding Process Deeply Flawed The Ecology Action Centre has reluctantly resigned from the Environmental Coordinating Committee of the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board in protest over the process used to issue exploration licences to oil companies. The Centre is calling on the federal and Nova Scotian governments to halt the nomination of new areas and issuance of exploration licences until the process is changed. At present oil companies nominate, in confidence, offshore areas to the Petroleum Board. The Board then issues a call for bids for the offshore areas nominated by the oil companies. The companies willing to spend the most dollars on exploration work win the bids and are granted exploration licences. Most of the licences the Board has issued have been for areas far from the coast, but recently it granted two licences for areas along the coast of Cape Breton. In both cases, local fishermen simply woke up one morning to hear on the radio that oil companies were bidding on their fishing grounds. In the case of the licence in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence fishermen have asked that the licence be revoked. There is widespread agreement amongst environmental groups and the fishing industry that two fundamental changes must be made to the bidding process: 1)ecologically sensitive areas, such as nursery and spawning grounds, should be identified and excluded from the nomination process; and 2)the public, including marine scientists, the fishing industry, the tourism industry, and environmentalists, should have a formal opportunity to intervene in the nomination and bidding process. -30- For more information contact Mark Butler, Marine Coordinator, at 429-2202 at the Ecology Action Centre. >STOP PRESS : Friday 5th November 1999. > >HISTORIC VICTORY FOR BRITISH MARINE LIFE >Oil licensing declared illegal until Government changes wildlife policy > >The Government was defeated in court today (Friday 5th November) in a >landmark legal ruling which protects coral reefs and whales and dolphins in >Britain's North East Atlantic. Mr Justice Kay ruled that all future offshore oil licensing is illegal until the Government properly applies the EU Habitats Directive. > >In his judgement, Justice Kay told the court that Greenpeace's case that >whales and dolphins can be harmed by oil industry activity was >"substantially uncontradicted" by Government and oil industry evidence,and >that oil exploration was "at least likely" to have an "adverse effect" on >deep water coral reefs. The Judge said that the Government had "clearly" not applied the Habitats Directive in initiating the next round of oil licensing in the North East Atlantic. > >Commenting on the ruling Greenpeace Executive Director, Peter Melchett >said"This is a fantastic victory for British whales, dolphins and deep >water coral reefs. It turns Government policy on fossil fuels on its head. >Tony Blair has wasted public money to avoid protecting whales and dolphins. >He has now been forced to put wildlife conservation ahead of oil >exploration," > >The case centred on the UK Government's decision to limit the application of the EU Directive to only 12 miles from the coast rather than the 200miles in which it licenses for oil. > >The Government should learn from this defeat and review whether it can to >afford to continue to license new oil exploration given the damage that it >will cause to British marine wildlife and the global climate. It should be >putting its energy and resources into supporting new British renewable >energy industries," Melchett said. > >Greenpeace also announced that the costs it receives from the Government >will be invested in new renewable energy projects in Scotland. > >"This is a massive blow for a Government whose policy on fossil fuels is in a mess. On the one hand at an international summit on climate change the Government are agreeing measures to reduce our use of fossil fuels,while on the other hand defending their policy of new oil exploration in the High Court," Melchett added. > >Mr Justice Kay accepted Greenpeace's main legal argument about the scope of >the Habitats Directive. Very significantly the judge also decided that the >case was of such public importance that he used his discretion to rule on >the case despite technical arguments from the Government and oil industry >that Greenpeace was too late in bringing the case. > >Greenpeace's legal case was backed by six of Britain's leading conservation >groups: > > "This is an absolutely tremendous result with major marine policy >implications for future management of the UK seas. WWF is thrilled with this outcome, the Government must now establish a network of marine protected areas up to 200 miles offshore", said WWF spokesperson Sian Pullen. > >Phil Rothwell, Head of Policy at the RSPB said, "This is fantastic news. >This judgement is a major step forward for the conservation of the marine >environment." > >Notes > >1. Short briefing available on what the Government and oil industry >have claimed in court would be the consequences of a Greenpeace victory. > >2. As a result of the case the UK will be required to: > > * Put in place a strict system of protection for all whales and > dolphins >* Survey marine life between 12 and 200 nautical miles from the coast >and identify sites which contain habitats or species which require >protection > * Propose candidate special areas of conservation (SACs) which >containthese vulnerable habitats and species > * Develop plans for protecting habitats and restoring species which >have suffered declines in population or whose conservation status remains >vulnerable > >3. Greenpeace's case was backed by WWF, RSPB, Friends of the Earth, >Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Environmental Investigation >Agencyand the Wildlife Trusts. > >Frontier News is edited by Matthew Spencer and produced by Tom Baker. This >edition written by Rob Gueterbock, Matthew Spencer, Stephanie Tunmore and >Ian Taylor. > > >Editorial queries to frontiernews@uk.greenpeace.org >Greenpeace UK >Canonbury Villas >London N1 2PN >Tel; 0171 865 8100 >Fax: 0171 865 8200 >http://www.greenpeace.org.uk -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- The preceding message was posted on Sustainable Maritimes (sust-mar) -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Overloaded with email? Sust-mar has a DIGEST version. If you'd prefer to receive a compilation of sust-mar messages twice monthly instead of daily, send email to <majordomo@chebucto.ns.ca> As the text of your message type "subscribe sust-mar-digest" And on the next line, type "unsubscribe sust-mar" Voila! Daily messages will stop, and twice-monthly will start.
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