The Government publishes the Marine Bill White Paper: A Sea Change
The Government has committed to introducing a Marine Bill in this current session of Government. The proposed legislation is likely to introduce a number of arrangements that are of interest to recreational boating, namely:
- A Marine Management Organisation
- Marine spatial planning
- Streamlinging the consenting arrangements for marine and coastal developments
- A network of nationally important marine protected areas
The RYA and British Marine Federation (BMF) have been active members of the Review of Marine Nature Conservation (RMNC) and plan to continue with this involvement in the delivery of a draft Marine Bill. The RYA has made it clear that the drafting of such a significant piece of legislation should not be rushed and it is hoped that sufficient time and resources are assigned to the process. Our reponse highlights the opportunities as well as the potential concerns we have with the new proposals.
A second consultation, the Government's White Paper - A Sea Change has recently been launched. The closing date for comments is the 1st June 2007. This can be accessed through the Government's Marine Bill website link. If you have any comments on this consultation please forward them to the Environment Team.
In addition to a UK Marine Bill, the EU is developing both a Maritime Policy and a Marine Policy. More information can be found in the Briefing Note.