LEAVING THE EU OFFERS RISKS AND REWARDS
We must look at our coastal waters, say conservationists.
By 2050, 99 per cent of seabirds globally will have some plastic in their stomach. It’s one reason, according to Joan Edwards of The Wildlife Trusts, why the UK must plan for how we protect our seas when we leave the EU.
The environment was not on the agenda during the referendum, Edwards tells BBC Wildlife, but much is at stake.
“Few people realise that 70 per cent of our marine environment law comes from Europe,Europe,” she says. “The conservation of our seas is at risk [ from Brexit], but there is an opportunity here to take control of our waters in a more sustainable way.”
As an example, she says it could help us deal with plastic pollution. “We will now have to go out onto the world stage and talk internationally about how we approach this,” she says. “That could speed things up.”