By Colum Delaney, Policy Advocacy Officer, Northern Ireland
In June 2012, more than 200 school children made the journey from the gates of Stormont, to the steps of Parliament Buildings. Dressed as starfish, puffins and all other manner of sea creatures - they sang, chanted and really made their voices heard for a Northern Ireland Marine Bill. In addition, a life size (approx 25 feet long) wicker basking shark model had been created in advance of the march and added to the colour and drama of a wonderful day, as pupils helped carry this ‘giant of the seas’ to its destination.
It was a powerful sight, and the pupils were greeted on the steps of Stormont by both the Environment Minister Alex Attwood and the Chairperson of the Environment Committee Anna Lo.
They say that the journey from the main gates of the Stormont estate to the steps of Parliament Buildings is precisely one mile and on a warm summer’s day and with a steep walk to the ‘House on the Hill’, it certainly felt every inch the full mile.
Unfortunately, precision is not a word we can ascribe to the timescale of the Marine Bill.
Here we are in February 2013, and the long-awaited Bill has yet to pass the final legislative hurdle. All indications are that it remains ‘stuck’ at the Executive (the decision making body made up of the five largest political parties), with no sign of movement
We are already way behind similar marine legislation in England, Scotland and Wales and until this legislation is passed, work cannot take place to designate our Marine Conservation Zones (Marine Protected Areas) – our best areas for habitats and species. The Marine Bill is the vital component in planning a long term future for our seas.
In order to try to move the Bill along, the RSPB (working through the Northern Ireland Marine Taskforce) are encouraging people to take a few minutes to log on and send a simple pre-prepared email to their local MLAs, asking them to call for an end to this delay. Click here to add your voice to save Northern Ireland's marine life.
Those who took the long walk to Stormont are becoming restless – and rightly so.
If you want to find out more about the RSPB's work in Northern Ireland, visit www.rspb.org.uk/northernireland
For more information about the Northern Ireland Marine Taskforce, visit www.nimtf.org.uk