The Regulation of Marine Resources in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The legal regime for the regulation of marine resources in the United Kingdom has undergone significant reforms over the past few years. The introduction of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 was the first step towards the more integrated management of marine resources in United Kingdom waters. Yet, the achievement of this aim is complicated by the arrangements for the devolution of power to regional administrations throughout the United Kingdom. This paper looks at the regime established by the Act and the challenges for its implementation. The move toward integrated marine management has partly been a response to initiatives at the international level. The first part of the paper therefore discusses the relevant sources of international law and EU law which apply to the management of marine resources. The paper then describes the development of the regime for the management of marine resources within the United Kingdom and it analyses the main features of that regime. In particular, it considers marine spatial planning, marine licensing and marine protected areas. The paper concludes that whilst the 2009 Act and related legislation mark an important development in marine policy in the United Kingdom, integrated marine management will require on-going cooperation between the devolved administrations, as well as other decision-makers involved in marine policy.