The Westminster Marine and Coastal Access Bill has now received Royal Assent.

Both this Bill and the Scottish Marine Bill are intended to introduce a framework for the sustainable management of the seas around the UK / Scotland, ensuring the need to protect our seas is integrated with economic growth of marine industries.

Whilst the Act is generally seen as offering a major step forward both in providing protection for the marine environment and providing for the sustainable development of the seas.

Marine developers and others hoping for greater simplicity in marine licensing may be disappointed, as the ill defined interface between the UK and the devolved administrations could give rise to a complex web of jurisdictional issues.

Of crucial importance, however, is the new concept of marine planning which is aimed at ensuring that decisions on the authorisation / enforcement of any activity in the marine environment must be taken in accordance with the marine plans unless relevant considerations indicate otherwise.

There will be a marine policy statement (MPS) setting out general policies applying to the UK marine area which will be adopted jointly by the Secretary of State and the devolved administrations.

Below the UK MPS there will be a number of marine plans covering the UK marine area; the Scottish plan will be dealt with through legislation in Holyrood and will set out policies for the sustainable development of Scottish waters whilst maintaining conformity with the UK MPS.

The Scottish government is taking further measures to ensure that inshore waters around Scotland (within 12 nautical miles from the coast) are also afforded targeted protection. The proposed Marine (Scotland) Bill includes new powers to designate Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scottish inshore waters.

A partnership of the Scottish government, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) will identify a range of MPAs to support the conservation of important natural assets.

Related posts:

1. Marine Bill Sails On
2. UK Marine Planning
3. Scottish Marine Bill summary
4. UK Marine Bill welcomed
5. Scottish Marine Bill debate