DELAYS in getting an agreement in place to extend the limit of the Bailiwick’s territorial waters to 12 miles are risking both the health of the marine environment and long-term sustainability of fish stocks, David De Lisle has warned.

The former Environment minister received a response from Commerce and Employment minister Carla McNulty Bauer during last week’s States debate to questions he asked regarding the department’s progress in extending the island’s fishing controls from three to 12 miles.

Deputy McNulty Bauer confirmed that an agreement had been reached between Guernsey, Alderney and Sark and proposals for the extension were now with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for consideration.

She also told the States that the department expected to bring a report on the issue to the Assembly by the end of this year.

But that was not good enough, according to Deputy De Lisle (pictured). ‘The answers I got appeared as though a decision was still a long way off,’ he said.