Consultation responses: Our Seas - a shared resource (Defra 2008)	Consultations index Maritime Committee
Submission from ALGAO Maritime Committee mps@defra.gsi.gov.uk Defra Marine Programme Area 2C, Nobel House 17 Smith Square London SW1P 3JR Dear Sir/Madam I am responding to the above consultation on behalf of the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers: UK (ALGAO:UK), Maritime Committee. ALGAO:UK represents the most senior Local Government archaeological officers in the UK. The association operates through both national and subject based committees and the Maritime Committee takes the lead for the association in this particular area. Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to comment on the above paper. We welcome the development of a UK wide statement of aims and objectives for Uk waters, particularly at a time of the evolution of different approaches from the devolved nations. We welcome the inclusion of references to the marine cultural heritage and marine historic assets, we would however have wished to see them more firmly embedded in the Marine Objectives. We would suggest the following additions to these objectives:- 'Living within environmental limits' (p5). A new objective of ' The marine cultural heritage is, protected, conserved and recorded' 'Promoting good governance' (p5). The end of the last objective should be altered to recognize that the marine cultural heritage includes drowned landscapes dating from the end of the Ice Age onwards as well as individual vessels and aircraft. An alternative wording might be; ' and recognizes the protection needs of individual historic assets and the broader marine cultural heritage.' It might also be worth including a definition of the marine environment which makes clear that this includes the marine cultural heritage as well as the natural environment. While this is implicit in some of the statements it should be made explicit. We hope that these comments are of use and look forward to the continuing developments in this area. Yours truly, Robin Daniels Chair, ALGAO:UK Maritime Committee Consultations index Maritime Committee Defra Consultation document