I am pleased to announce the Government's response to the 25th report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution: "Turning the Tide—Addressing the Impact of Fisheries on the Marine Environment".

The Royal Commission's report, which was presented to Parliament in December 2004, was an important contribution to thinking on how we can better protect the marine environment. The RCEP report made over 70 recommendations covering a wide range of fisheries activity and their impact on the marine environment.

We have for the most part accepted the RCEP's recommendations. The key recommendation in the RCEP report was the need for a new frameworkfor marine management. Our response reflects developments on the Marine Bill, in particular the public consultation launched in March this year. The response also reflects Government's recent decisions on decommissioning, and progress made since publication of "Securing the Benefits", the Fisheries Departments' response to the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit landmark report, "Net Benefits".

Key elements of the response, structured around seven themes, are:

Improved management of the marine environment

Improved management of fisheries

International fisheries management

Research

Public participation

Jurisdictional issues

Reducing the environmental impacts of aquaculture

The Government's full response will be published on the DEFRA website shortly.

Copies of the response are being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.