Marine Acts

The new Marine Acts will apply in the UK, but the devolved administrations have various arrangements for their own inshore areas.

The Acts aim to put the principle of sustainable development at the heart of the legislation, whilst creating a more strategic and holistic approach to the marine environment. There will be UK, Scottish and Northern Ireland Marine Acts.

EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive

The new EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive sets the overall goal of achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) for Europe's seas by 2020. This fits in with the UK Marine and Coastal Access Bill, the Marine (Scotland) Act and the proposed Northern Ireland Marine Bill, each of which seek to put in place better systems for delivering sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment.

They will all closely support the Directive by putting in place some of the most important tools to help deliver GES. The Framework Directive and Marine Acts can be seen as integrated and complementary.

UK Marine and Coastal Access Act in England and Wales

The UK Marine and Coastal Access Act has six main themes:

1. Marine Management Organisation
2. Marine Planning (including a Marine Policy Statement)
3. Marine Nature Conservation
4. Fisheries Management and Marine Enforcement
5. Marine Licensing
6. Coastal Access

In addition there are sections covering Environmental Data and Information, Migratory and Freshwater Fisheries and Coastal and Estuary Management.

For more information see:

• Seafish Guidance Note - Marine and Coastal Access Act
• Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
• Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 PDF
• Key areas covered by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009

Marine (Scotland) Act

Northern Ireland Marine Bill 

For further information contact:

Mark Gray
Environmental Assessment Support Officer
t: 01248 605038
e: m_gray@seafish.co.uk