Most Popular Books by William Howarth

A story about a young man called up during WW2 and becomes a padre

Environmental law still lacks coherence in many respects. Two key areas of UK and EC law-water pollution control and biodiversity protection-are examined to see whether it is possible to adopt more common approaches. A key development in pollution control law was its redirection in the last twenty years from a largely reactive instrument towards one embedded in the realisation of environmental quality objectives through precisely stated quality standards. On closer inspection, many of these standards, though, are anthropocentric in origin. The approach of using the law purposively to achieve defined objectives is much better developed in pollution legislation as compared to the law on biodiversity protection. The latter area now needs to see a similar development in ecological quality standards, while recognising that their formulation is a significantly different exercise from that of establishing environmental quality standards. The use of ecological quality standards in the Water Framework Directive is commendable, but there remain substantial reservations about the criteria adopted and the underlying basis for ecological valuation.

The first and only account of the law of England, Wales and Scotland relating to fish farming. It deals with all the major regulatory aspects of fish and shellfish, taking into account the most recent developments in the subject and including the implications of the Water Act 1989.

The European Community Environment Policy and the need for integration of environmental requirements in sectoral policies raise markedly different issues in the different contexts in which they need to be applied. The application of the precautionary principle to the lsquo;prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources'' contrasts with its application in pollution control contexts. The need for precaution in the management of fisheries resources is considered against the backdrop of the reformed (post-2002) Community Common Fisheries Policy. This recognises the need to adopt a precautionary approach and, progressively, an ecosystem-based approach. These innovations are assessed through their application to catch limits under stock recovery plans. The interpretation of lsquo;precaution'' that has been adopted is contrasted with stricter alternatives. Given the potential costs of precaution, there may be good reasons for its progressive application, but, if the reforms fail to achieve their ecological objectives, a stronger version of precaution will be needed.