Marine Acts
The Marine and Coastal Access Act will offer better protection for the health of our seas. In principle, it should be good news for the fishing industry, but there are still lots of details to be filled in. Many of these will only be revealed when secondary legislation, new guidance, and management plans progress.
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:
- Marine Management Organisation
- Marine Planning (including a Marine Policy Statement)
- Marine Nature Conservation
- Fisheries Management and Marine Enforcement
- Marine Licensing
- 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
For further information contact:
Mark Gray
Environmental Assessment Support Officer
t: 01248 605038
e: m_gray@seafish.co.uk
Marine (Scotland) Act
Key UK Marine & Coastal Access Act legislation relevant to Scotland.
Northern Ireland Marine Bill
The UK Marine and Coastal Access Act will extend in part to Northern Ireland.