Britain's marine life in crisis

Tuesday, January 18, 2005
By JEREMY LOVELL /  Reuters UK

LONDON (Reuters) - The Common Skate has declined so much around Britain's shores that recent surveys have failed to find a single one, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says.

Harbour porpoises are another species in decline while several sea-bed environments are in deep trouble, the WWF said in a report published on Tuesday.

Only populations of Basking Sharks, Seahorses and Native Oysters are stable around the shores of Britain, it added.

Thirteen of the 16 "flagship" marine species and habitats are in disastrous decline, the WWF said, proposing a UK Marine Act to enshrine conservation and biodiversity at the heart of government policy and ensure a coherent industrial policy.

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