Protecting our Marine Environment - Environmental Protection - 3.1 Engagement with Stakeholders - Su

3.1 Engagement with Stakeholders Concerning the Marine Environment by Environmental Protection

Executive Summary

• Frequent phone call and email exchanges with stakeholders (such as Save our Shoreline, shellfish farmers, the public, waste operators, farmers, growers, Transport & Technical Services, Jersey Water etc.)
• Proactive approach towards engagement (for example: liaising between shellfish farmers and Transport and Technical Services, so that the industry receives regular updates during and after heavy rainfall)
• Forwarding of monitoring results to interested parties
• Regular update meetings with operators, such as Transport and Technical Services, Jersey Airport and Jersey Water.

1. Introduction

Environmental Protection considers:

1. The engagement with stakeholders as vital, given the section's wide remit and the emphasis it places on education and pollution prevention
2. Stakeholders as a useful resource, as they are the eyes and ears' and as such, can report or provide information concerning pollution incidents.

Stakeholder engagement is explained in more detail within other relevant submissions. Listed below are activities which prompted some of the main engagement activities:

2. Engagement - downgrading of shellfish beds

The recent downgrading of shellfish beds along the south-east coast prompted a variety of stakeholder engagement:

1. Engagement with shellfish farmers

1. Meetings and dialogue with the industry to discuss their issues and concerns.
2. Follow up meetings organised by Environmental Protection of the industry with an eminent expert in this field (from the Centre for Research into the Environment and Health), Public Health, Transport and Technical Services.
3. Coordination of seaweed removal from beaches by Transport and Technical Services (as a potential source of bacteria).
4. Visit of the shellfish farmers to the cavern and to view the Transport and Technical Services telemetry system for pumping stations, which was arranged by Environmental Protection.
5. Sharing of all outfall and bathing water data with the shellfish farmers.
6. Regular updates of the monitoring of outfalls and statistical analysis of downgrading of oyster beds undertaken by Environmental Protection.

7. Equipping the shellfish farmers with sample bottles so that they can take water samples at times when they consider the discharge from outfalls to be of concern.

viii. Investigation by Environmental Protection of discharges that were of

concern to shellfish farmers.

Note: for the last two points, Environmental Protection was unable to substantiate that those discharges of concern were contaminated with human sewage.

2. Assistance by Environmental Protection to States Departments/Sections

Assisting the States of Jersey Veterinary Officer with the statistical analysis of data concerning the downgrading of oyster beds

1. Liaising with the Environment Division Agricultural Advisers concerning slurry application in catchments
2. Working with Transport and Technical Services to identify combined sewage overflows and mapping of private drainage systems (septic tanks and soakaways)

3. Engagement with Ramsar Management Authority and Save our Shoreline

1. Environmental Protection officers attended Ramsar Management Authority technical group meetings to explain the Discharge Permit and Waste Management Licence application process to members
2. Frequent exchange of e-mails with Save our Shoreline (responses often involve large periods of officer time to complete)
3. Instigating meetings with Save our Shoreline to enable Environmental Protection officers to explain the context behind decisions (especially during the construction of the Energy from Waste Plant).

4. Engagement with other States of Jersey Departments

1. Frequent update meetings and liaison with Transport and Technical Services Department. This involves cooperation regarding identification of sewage overspills, operational management of the sewage treatment works, liaison during and after heavy rainfall and subsequent reporting to the Regulator by Transport and Technical Services.
2. Providing technical expertise regarding such areas as; liquid waste strategy, Town Park development, La Collette Reclamation Site, Airport Engineering (particularly de-icing), States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service.
3. Environmental Protection assisted Fisheries and Marine Resources analyse data for the heavy metal monitoring of marine biota.

and

4. Regular liaison with Jersey Water.