Extra protection for Pembrokeshire Islands welcome

The environmental significance of the Pembrokeshire coast and the threats posed by shipping have just been acknowledged by the announcement today (Feb 13th) by the Department of Transport that the Pembrokeshire Islands are to be given the status of Marine Environment High Risk Areas (MEHRAs) [1]. This
follows a recommendation made by Lord Donaldson in his report 'Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas ' (May 1994) into the Braer oil spill off the Shetland Islands in January 1993.

The Pembrokeshire Islands is one of 32 locations around the UK and the only one in Wales to be given this designation. The locations of MEHRAs have been identified after taking into account shipping risk, environmental sensitivity and other environmental protection measures already in place at each location.

Gordon James, of Friends of the Earth Cymru ( Wales ), said:

"We welcome the designation of the Pembrokeshire Islands as a Marine Environment High Risk Area (MEHRA). It's regrettable that it has taken the Government almost twelve years to do this. In view of what happened with the Sea Empress, we believe it should have occurred much earlier.

"It is important that the MEHRA is properly implemented so that all shipping avoids the most environmentally important areas and takes particular care off the Pembrokeshire coats [2]."

Notes

1. See Department of Transport press release here.

2. The Donaldson report, 'Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas', states in recommendation 59 that "the Department of Transport should monitor MEHRAs to see whether Masters' behaviour has changed"