A new maritime management organisation will be established. Shaw said preparatory work has been undertaken by Environment Agency staff. Marine Conservation Zones will be selected by English Nature off the English coast.

The Countryside Council for Wales is to hold a symposium at Llandudno as soon as April 16 to decide on how to select Highly Protected Marine Reserves (HPMR). Shaw was not willing to tell BB that there would not be total no-go areas.

Given that 98% of inland rivers in England and Wales are closed to all boats at all times, nautical boaters cannot afford to be complacent. Benn called for stakeholders to comment on the draft bill.

Make your own response at defra.gov.uk/environment/water/marine/uk/policy/marine-bill/index.htm 
and/or defra.gov.uk/marine/biodiversity/index.htm

'We welcome some of the measures set out in the draft Marine Bill, especially those relating to licensing and planning,' said Howard Pridding, executive director of the British Marine Federation (BMF).  'We will be studying these, and other aspects of the draft bill, in more detail to feed our thoughts in to the process of stakeholder engagement going forwards,'

The Marine Act will have implications for all aspects of the leisure marine industry and we will keep members informed of what we are doing to make their voice heard, he added.