§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has(a) made and (b) intends to make of the impact of (i) dredging and (ii) other marine activities on benthic fauna; and if she will make a statement. [65503]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Department does not regulate dredging but does provide advice to the Department of Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the effects of navigation and aggregate dredging respectively on the marine environment, including benthic fauna.
With regard to other marine activities, the Department assesses the potential impact on benthic life of proposals which are the subject of applications for licences under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to deposit substances or articles in the sea. This includes proposals to dispose of dredged material and for a wide range of marine construction activities.
The Department is funding a programme of research on the effects of aggregate dredging, including the rate of recovery of benthic life after dredging has ceased. In addition the Department's Centre for Environment, 950W Fisheries and Aquaculture Science are involved in ongoing research on the impact of fishing activities on the seabed and on the wider marine environment.