Cefas completes first year of distribution of Marine Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund
In 2004 Cefas became one of four distributing bodies that deliver ALSF projects in the marine environment. Cefas contributes to the second objective of the ALSF: ‘promoting environmentally friendly extraction and transport’ in the context of the marine environment. Consistent with this Cefas procure projects which deliver programmes that:
- reduce the local effects of marine aggregate extraction
- promote environmentally friendly practices for the extraction of marine aggregate
- undertake strategic research into the environmental consequences of marine aggregate extraction; and
- reduce the environmental impacts of using marine aggregate in coastal protection schemes.
The fund which Cefas administers on behalf of Defra is called the Marine Environment Protection Fund (MEPF).
In the first year, MEPF contracts have been awarded to 5 organisations to work on 7 projects as follows:
| Project Ref. |
Project Title |
Contractor & project leader |
End Date |
| MEPF 04/01 |
Eastern English Channel Large-scale seabed habitat mapping |
British Geological Survey
Ceri James |
March 2007 |
| MEPF 04/02 |
Recoverability of affected ecosystems after cessation of marine aggregate extraction |
Marine Ecological Surveys Ltd
Dr Jamie Robinson |
March 2007 |
| MEPF 04/03 |
Development of a risk assessment framework |
HR Wallingford Ltd
Valerie Bain |
March 2007 |
| MEPF 04/04 |
Improvements to predictive modelling |
ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd
Dr Steven Freeman |
March 2007 |
| MEPF 04/05 |
Marine ALSF Science Co-ordinator |
Marine Ecological Surveys Ltd
Dr Richard Newell |
March 2007 |
| MEPF 04/07 |
Marine ALSF Offshore Geographical Information System |
ABP Marine Environmental Research Ltd
Jamie Moore |
March 2007 |
| MEPF 04/00 (Extramural) |
Assessment of re-habilitation of the seabed following marine aggregate dredging |
Cefas
Keith Cooper |
July 2005 |
The progress with these projects and others funded by the Marine ALSF will be reported on at the forthcoming Technical Conference, Marine Aggregate Extraction – Helping to Determine Good Practice, to be held on 6th July 2005 in London. For further details please refer to the conference flyer (PDF, 3.39MB) or contact the organisers, CMS, tel: +44 (0)1531 890415.
For further details on the MEPF please visit our website:
http://www.alsf-mepf.org.uk/
For further details on ALSF please visit Defra’s website:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/aggregates/
