IFM Director of Policy joins the OEP College of Experts

Marcus McAuley, the IFM’s Policy Director, has been appointed to the Office of Environmental Protection (OEP)^[1]College of experts for a 3-year term.

Members are drawn from academic and practitioner expert communities, to bring specialist knowledge of areas relevant to the OEP’s remit to inform the organisation’s strategy, and to provide focused expert input to detailed challenges facing OEP teams. Evidence and intelligence enable the OEP to be both strategic and forward-looking, and agile and responsive to events. Evidence is essential to help the OEP understand the state of the environment, and the drivers, pressures, barriers, and opportunities affecting it. Evidence is used to monitor progress towards the government’s stated objective to leave the environment in a better state, than that in which it was inherited. The College of Experts will bring a high level of relevant academic and practitioner experience to add insight, diversity of experience, and challenge to the OEP’s work, and to augment and amplify analyses and recommendations.

Marcus aims to promote the IFM position on the issues, challenges, and opportunities within the current OEP priority areas, notably improving nature, clean water, and effective governance. This role will complement his work with Wildlife and Countryside Link and the Environmental Policy Forum

David Bunt, the Institute’s Chief Executive Officer said:  ‘IFM is increasingly using its professional expertise to advise and influence governments’ and their agencies’ policies on fisheries and aquatic resource management. So, we are delighted to have our Policy Director embedded in the OEP’s College of Experts’.

^[1] The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) is a public body established to protect and improve the natural environment by holding government and other public bodies to account. Their work covers England and Northern Ireland.