Today, the first comprehensive set of Marine Plans to guide development across England’s seas have been adopted and published. The publication of the North East, North West, South East and South West Marine Plans follows the adoption of the East Marine Plan in 2014 and the South Marine Plan in 2018.
This means all England’s seas – an area of approximately 230,000 square kilometres – a third larger than the total land area of England – are now covered by Marine Plans.
The development of the Plans has been a significant activity, based on evidence and consultation with hundreds of organisations around the country, including many of our stakeholders. So, thank you to everyone involved for their interest, engagement, and support in reaching this milestone.
Having Marine Plans in place to guide how we manage our seas is a massive step forward in this marine super year. We will now have one comprehensive view of evidence, research and policy about the coasts, estuaries, and tidal waters around England’s seas.
The Plans will provide the vital framework for sustainable use of our seas and act as the most essential tool in the box for those making the decisions about how we use – and protect – our seas for the future.
Further information on this announcement can be found on the MMO press release page published online. You can also view all of the Plans on Explore Marine Plans which displays the marine policy documents for all of England’s marine plan areas in an accessible online, quick reference format.
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