‘Strength from the Depths’ – Ninth Annual Sustainable Development Report for the British Marine Aggregate Industry Published

This report can be downloaded from the website of the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association at:

http://www.bmapa.org/issues/sustainability.php

Summary:

The British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA) has published its ninth annual Sustainable Development report covering the year 2014. This builds upon the wider sustainable development initiative established by BMAPA’s parent organisation, the Mineral Products Association (MPA).

The publication of BMAPA’s ninth annual report builds on the sector’s sustainable development strategy which was launched in October 2006. Under this initiative, individual marine aggregate operators continue to report a wide range of data which, when combined, provides a comprehensive record of the sustainable development performance of the sector as a whole.

The encouraging signs of economic recovery observed during 2013 were maintained into 2014, with total marine aggregate production increasing by 7.6%. In London and the South East of England, where one third of GB construction activity takes place and where traditionally marine supplies provide one third of all primary construction aggregate demand, landings increased by a healthy 13.8%. Along the Thames river, marine landings increased by 21%, reflecting the scale of growth and development that is currently taking place in our capital city.

The report highlights some key points, including:

• A total of 17.25Mt was dredged in 2014 – a 7.6% increase on 2013.
• A re-licensing programme for historic marine aggregate production licence areas was successfully completed during 2014.
• Despite overall production increasing, the area of seabed actually dredged during 2014 reduced further, as operators introduced more detailed zoning arrangements for newly licensed areas.
• Industry successfully completed baseline surveys for a new Regional Seabed Monitoring Programme across five regions, with over 3,500 seabed sediment samples collected.

This report can be downloaded from the website of the British Marine Aggregate Producers Association at: http://www.bmapa.org/issues/sustainability.php

For further information contact: Mark Russell, Director, British Marine Aggregate Producers Association, Gillingham House, 38-44 Gillingham Street, London, SW1V 1HU Email: bmapa@mineralproducts.org   Tel: 0207 963 8000