Petroleum--EAC Press Release + Greenpeace UK Press Release

Date: Wed, 10 Nov 1999 18:15:31 -0400 (AST)
From: Mark Butler <ar427@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects



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.



next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects