"Knock-on effect on birdlife could be devastating" says Watson

4.43.02pm GMT Mon 26th Feb 2007

Nearly a month after the 62,000 tonne MSC Napoli was deliberately beached off Branscombe in Lyme Bay, Graham Watson, Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, has spoken out about the lasting environmental impact on birds following the incident.

Commenting, Graham Watson said:

"According to the RSPB, for every bird found oiled onshore, it appears that up to ten times as many could have been oiled at sea. This is a shocking statistic given that within two days of the Napoli incident 900 birds were reported oiled onshore. We need to act to ensure that our rich wildlife is fully protected at sea which is why when the government propose its upcoming Marine Bill we need to ensure it has some firm proposals for a network of Marine Protected Areas.

"Under the EU Environmental Liability Directive, which is due to come into force in the UK on 30th April, the Government has a great opportunity to introduce the kind of rules that would protect our most precious coastal sites from this kind of incident. Yet the Government's interpretation on this appears to be weak and sites like Chesil Beach, which should be better protected under these measures, look set to be excluded."

In the immediate aftermath of the Napoli incident, Graham Watson teamed up with Teignbridge MP Richard-Younger Ross in Brussels to challenge the EU Commissioner for Transport Jacques Barrot to explain why the Napoli was beached off the Jurassic Coast in Lyme Bay. He has since been active in the European Parliament in ensuring that lessons are learnt and safety concerns are addressed following the accident.

The RSPB recently released information suggesting that the Napoli incident may threaten 28 sites of Special Scientific Interest, including the Exe Estuary in Devon, Chesil Beach and the Fleet in Dorset. Its briefing warns that with up to 17 different bird species affected, the impact on important summer breeding colonies, such as at Berry Head and Portland Bill, could be devastating. Graham Watson has written to David Miliband, Environment Secretary, urging him to use the Environmental Liability Directive to ensure coastal sites are fully protected.