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Exploration on the West Coast of Britain West of Britain: The Atlantic Margin and the Environment The Atlantic Margin and the environment There is understandable public concern about the need to protect the marine environment in this region. West of Britain operators are fully committed to acknowledging and responding to that concern. Environmental protection measures in the Atlantic Margin are comprehensive. The decision whether to proceed with each stage of West of Britain operations is dependent on the outcome of a thorough and detailed assessment of the impact of such work on marine flora and fauna. All exploration and production activities are carried out in full compliance with national and international environmental management guidelines and regulations. West of Britain operators are also closely involved with several environmental NGOs, some of whom played a key part in shaping Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for the area. The region is the focus of substantial collaboration between companies to assess the impact of current and future exploration on the marine environment. This arrangement was established voluntarily, well in advance of the UK Government's new legislation requiring specific Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to be incorporated into the licence application procedure. As part of the external consultation and evaluation process, the Atlantic Frontier Environment Forum (AFEF) was formed in direct response to a request by local communities for an independently-chaired environmental consultative body. AFEF membership includes: Local communities -- Councils of Shetland, Orkney, Highlands and Western Isles Government Agencies -- Scottish Natural Heritage, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (SOAEFD) Environmental NGOs -- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Links Academic groups including universities and the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) West of Britain operators In recent years the oil industry has commissioned a number of independent scientific research programmes to expand knowledge of the marine flora and fauna present in the Atlantic Margin region. This knowledge is used to shape industry activities to help ensure that they have at worst no more than a minimal effect on the marine environment. The results of these programmes are also placed in the public domain, for the benefit of everyone concerned with the protection of the environment to the West of Britain.