British Corals Protected!!

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..STOP PRESS : Friday 5th November 1999.
>
>HISTORIC VICTORY FOR BRITISH MARINE LIFE
>Oil licensing declared illegal until Government changes wildlife policy
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>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.
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>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.
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>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,"
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>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 th 200 miles in which it licenses for oil.
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>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.
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>Greenpeace also announced that the costs it receives from the Government will be invested in new renewable energy projects in Scotland.
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>"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.
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>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.
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>Greenpeace's legal case was backed by six of Britain's leading conservation groups:
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> "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.
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>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."
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>Notes
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>1. Short briefing available on what the Government and oil industry have claimed in court would be the consequences of a Greenpeace victory.
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>2. As a result of the case the UK will be required to:
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> * 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 contain these vulnerable habitats and species

* Develop plans for protecting habitats and restoring species which have suffered declines in population or whose conservation status remains vulnerable
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>3. Greenpeace's case was backed by WWF, RSPB, Friends of the Earth, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Environmental Investigation Agencyand the Wildlife Trusts.
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>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.
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>
>Editorial queries to mailto:frontiernews@uk.greenpeace.org
>Greenpeace UK
>Canonbury Villas
>London N1 2PN
>Tel; 0171 865 8100
>Fax: 0171 865 8200
>http://www.greenpeace.org.uk

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