Legal Culture of Marine Spatial Planning in Maritime Areas from the Polish Perspective

Abstract

In the multidisciplinary literature, it has been assumed that ‘sea space’ is the subject of marine spatial planning (MSP). The primary goal of MSP activities is to divide ‘sea space’ optimally into different uses and to prevent conflicts related to the use of ‘sea space’. The Coastal States, in various regions of the world, for over twenty years have focused on MSP aimed at, amongst others, the development and implementation of maritime spatial plans. Undoubtedly, MSP is based on the division of the Global Ocean into maritime areas. Therefore, MSP instruments should be effectively developed, implemented and improved in pursuit of the goals of sustainable marine governance (SMG) for the protection and preservation of the marine environment. In the European Union, the Coastal Member States of the EU have been required to develop MSP plans by the end of the first quarter of 2021. Thus, MSP instruments are useful tools for the sustainable marine governance at the regional and national levels. At the regional level, sustainable marine governance presents a holistic approach to the use of marine resources and ecosystem services and it is derived from culture and human development. Moreover, there is a justified trend towards developing marine spatial culture understood as a common idea included in the set of good practices of MSP that can contribute effectively to sustainable marine governance. This paper presents several arguments in favor of the need to develop marine spatial culture in the context of Polish experiences in the implementation of MSP.